Ailsa vs Sarah
Ailsa and Sarahcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2007, Ailsa was ranked #842 and Sarah #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Ailsa was ranked #336 and Sarah #37 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ailsa was ranked #1894 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ailsa was ranked #148 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
Ailsa and Sarah over time
Ailsa and Sarah appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ailsa in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Sarah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ailsa in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ailsa #619 in 1998, Sarah #18 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ailsa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ailsa #619 in 1998, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ailsa #1894, Sarah #130.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Ailsa | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Hebrew, meaning 'lady, princess, noblewoman'. In the Old Testament, Sarah's name was changed from Sarai by God, alongside Abraham's own name change (Genesis 17:15); she is regarded as matriarch of the Jewish people. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Girls #148 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sarah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Ailsa does not have one recorded yet.
- Ailsa and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Sarah; Ailsa doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Ailsa
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #686 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1894 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Sarah
Popularity journey
First recorded1958
First recorded at #86 among girls in New Zealand in 1958 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1958–2019
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 1974 (recorded 1958–2019).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #115 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls