Ann vs Sharon
Ann and Sharoncompared 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 1970, Ann was ranked #97 and Sharon #7 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1969, Ann was ranked #92 and Sharon #13 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2001, Ann was ranked #194 and Sharon #512 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Ann was ranked #355 and Sharon #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2008, Ann was ranked #439 and Sharon #439 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ann was ranked #1406 and Sharon #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Ann and Sharon over time
Ann and Sharon appear together in 5 published lists, across 142 years of shared records. Sharon held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ann in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ann reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Sharon 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1955, Sharon moved ahead of Ann in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #32 and #35 the year before became #31 and #23.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ann and Sharon changed places 9 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1406 and #2000.
- Longest-running competitions
Ann and Sharon were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 55 years, from 1964 to 2020, ending at #355 and #834.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ann #539 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls55 shared years, 1964–2020
Ann held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Sharon in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ann #4 in 1964, Sharon #5 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Ann #355, Sharon #834.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ann held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Sharon in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ann #539 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
The order changed in 2021: Ann moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #1939 and #1939; by 2021 that had become #1351 and #1962.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ann #1406, Sharon #2000.
Norway · Girls23 shared years, 1961–2001
Ann held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Sharon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ann #14 in 1969, Sharon #354 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Ann #194, Sharon #512.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls19 shared years, 1952–1970
Ann held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Sharon in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ann #31 in 1955, Sharon #2 in 1965.
The order changed in 1955: Sharon moved ahead. In 1954 they stood at #32 and #35; by 1955 that had become #31 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 1970: Ann #97, Sharon #7.
New Zealand · Girls16 shared years, 1954–1969
Ann held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sharon in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ann #39 in 1955, Sharon #5 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1969: Ann #92, Sharon #13.
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 | Ann | Sharon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From a Hebrew place name — a fertile plain on the central west coast of Israel, also referenced in the biblical 'rose of Sharon' flowering plant. Used as a feminine given name in English since the 1920s. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sharon has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (place name origin)); Ann does not have one recorded yet.
- Ann has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Sharon.
- A meaning is recorded for Sharon; Ann 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
Ann
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #82 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Sharon
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #47 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1982
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1965 (recorded 1952–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls