Namewise

Alice vs Sarah

Alice 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 2025, Alice was ranked #41 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Alice was ranked #49 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2019, Alice was ranked #49 and Sarah #100 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Alice was ranked #57 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2021, Alice was ranked #58 and Sarah #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Alice was ranked #76 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Alice was ranked #182 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.

Alice and Sarah over time

Alice and Sarah appear together in 6 published lists, across 256 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Alice in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 6 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Sarah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Alice 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.

  • One took the other's place near the top

    In New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Alice moved into the top 50 at #38 in 2016 as Sarah fell out of it to #55, having been #41 the year before.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 1998, Alice moved ahead of Sarah in England and Wales · Girls — #26 and #22 the year before became #26 and #27.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Alice and Sarah averaged 44.9 places apart, ending at #49 and #130.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Alice and Sarah were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 31 years, from 1986 to 2021, ending at #58 and #96.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls65 shared years, 1960–2025

    Alice held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Sarah in 51.

    Highest recorded here: Alice #123 in 2015, Sarah #35 in 2007.

    The order changed in 1976: Sarah moved ahead. In 1975 they stood at #243 and #261; by 1976 that had become #312 and #209.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Alice #182, Sarah #115.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025

    Alice held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sarah in 57.

    Highest recorded here: Alice #29 in 2022, Sarah #1 in 1983.

    The order changed in 2021: Alice moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #33 and #30; by 2021 that had become #40 and #43.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Alice #41, Sarah #66.

  • New Zealand · Girls41 shared years, 1979–2019

    Alice held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Sarah in 33.

    Highest recorded here: Alice #31 in 2018, Sarah #1 in 1979.

    The order changed in 2012: Alice moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #44 and #42; by 2012 that had become #37 and #42.

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Alice #49, Sarah #100.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls31 shared years, 1986–2021

    Alice held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Sarah in 25.

    Highest recorded here: Alice #37 in 2017, Sarah #2 in 1986.

    The order changed in 2016: Alice moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #47 and #41; by 2016 that had become #38 and #55.

    Most recent shared year, 2021: Alice #58, Sarah #96.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Alice held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Sarah in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Alice #17 in 2016, Sarah #18 in 1996.

    The order changed in 1998: Alice moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #26 and #22; by 1998 that had become #26 and #27.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Alice #49, Sarah #130.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Alice held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Sarah in 22.

    Highest recorded here: Alice #35 in 2019, Sarah #5 in 2002.

    The order changed in 2023: Alice moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #56 and #53; by 2023 that had become #56 and #79.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Alice #57, Sarah #75.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Alice

Pairs where Alice shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Sarah

Pairs where Sarah shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one took the other's place near the top.

All one took the other's place near the top→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Alice, Sarah
FieldAliceSarah
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedFrom 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.
OriginNot yet recordedBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈsɛɹ.ə/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #41 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Sarah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Alice does not have one recorded yet.
  • Alice has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sarah.
  • A meaning is recorded for Sarah; Alice doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Alice

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #292 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in England and Wales, in 2016 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #76 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

Sarah

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1958–2019

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 1974 (recorded 1958–2019).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #115 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls