Namewise

Angela vs Sarah

Angela 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.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2003, Angela was ranked #79 and Sarah #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 1998, Angela was ranked #88 and Sarah #7 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Angela was ranked #608 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2023, Angela was ranked #391 and Sarah #79 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2022, Angela was ranked #437 and Sarah #94 among girls in Norway.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Angela was ranked #1229 and Sarah #131 among girls in England and Wales.

Angela and Sarah over time

Angela and Sarah appear together in 6 published lists, across 234 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Angela in 0.

The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Angela reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Sarah in 1. 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 moved ahead of the other

    In 1975, Sarah moved ahead of Angela in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #13 and #14 the year before became #14 and #11.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Angela and Sarah changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1960 and 2022, ending at #437 and #94.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 39 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Angela and Sarah averaged 38.8 places apart, ending at #79 and #6.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 39 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Sarah rose about as far as Angela fell — from #38 and #85 in 1965 to #79 and #6 in 2003.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Angela and Sarah were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1229 and #131.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Angela #382 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.

List by list

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

    Angela held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Sarah in 55.

    Highest recorded here: Angela #21 in 1965, Sarah #1 in 1983.

    The order changed in 1971: Sarah moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #35 and #44; by 1971 that had become #39 and #34.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Angela #608, Sarah #66.

  • Norway · Girls53 shared years, 1960–2022

    Angela held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Sarah in 45.

    Highest recorded here: Angela #248 in 1978, Sarah #35 in 2007.

    The order changed in 1972: Sarah moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #270 and #460; by 1972 that had become #381 and #254.

    Most recent shared year, 2022: Angela #437, Sarah #94.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls39 shared years, 1965–2003

    Angela held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Sarah in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Angela #13 in 1974, Sarah #2 in 1981.

    The order changed in 1975: Sarah moved ahead. In 1974 they stood at #13 and #14; by 1975 that had become #14 and #11.

    Most recent shared year, 2003: Angela #79, Sarah #6.

  • New Zealand · Girls36 shared years, 1958–1998

    Angela held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sarah in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Angela #3 in 1975, Sarah #1 in 1974.

    The order changed in 1974: Sarah moved ahead. In 1973 they stood at #5 and #6; by 1974 that had become #6 and #1.

    Most recent shared year, 1998: Angela #88, Sarah #7.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Angela held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Angela #382 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Angela #1229, Sarah #131.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 1997–2023

    Angela held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Angela #248 in 2000, Sarah #5 in 2002.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Angela #391, Sarah #79.

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 Angela

Pairs where Angela 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 moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand'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 Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 1990s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 1990 and 1999.

The 1990s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Angela, Sarah
FieldAngelaSarah
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
PronunciationNot yet recorded/ˈsɛɹ.ə/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

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

How each name got here

Angela

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1947

    First recorded at #362 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1954–1998

    Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1954–1998).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #1229 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · 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 #131 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls