Ava vs Sarah
Ava 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 2021, Ava was ranked #5 and Sarah #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #9 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Ava was ranked #10 and Sarah #100 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #143 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.
Ava and Sarah over time
Ava and Sarah appear together in 6 published lists, across 161 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 5 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 Ava 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 2007, Ava moved ahead of Sarah in England and Wales · Girls — #60 and #58 the year before became #38 and #70.
- Mirrored each other
Over 26 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ava rose about as far as Sarah fell — from #603 and #76 in 1999 to #143 and #115 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Sarah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1978 to 2025, ending at #26 and #66.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1978–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sarah in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order changed in 2012: Ava moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #8 and #6; by 2012 that had become #8 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Sarah #66.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Sarah in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order changed in 2007: Ava moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #60 and #58; by 2007 that had become #38 and #70.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Sarah #130.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sarah in 25.
Highest recorded here: Ava #104 in 2020, Sarah #35 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #143, Sarah #115.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1998–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Sarah in 13.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Sarah #5 in 2002.
The order changed in 2013: Ava moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #26 and #20; by 2013 that had become #12 and #29.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Sarah #75.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls19 shared years, 2003–2021
Ava held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Sarah in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2017, Sarah #6 in 2003.
The order changed in 2007: Ava moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #17 and #16; by 2007 that had become #12 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Ava #5, Sarah #96.
New Zealand · Girls17 shared years, 2003–2019
Ava held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Sarah in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ava #5 in 2017, Sarah #11 in 2003.
The order changed in 2007: Ava moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #26 and #24; by 2007 that had become #18 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Ava #10, Sarah #100.
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 | Ava | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | 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 | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #18 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ava is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve origin, while Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Ava and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
- Ava's recorded meaning differs from Sarah's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Ava
Popularity journey
First recorded1978
First recorded at #522 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1978 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1978–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 1978–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #18 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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