Caitlin vs Sarah
Caitlin 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 2013, Caitlin was ranked #78 and Sarah #36 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Caitlin was ranked #247 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Caitlin was ranked #119 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2014, Caitlin was ranked #96 and Sarah #91 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Caitlin was ranked #610 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Caitlin was ranked #333 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
Caitlin and Sarah over time
Caitlin and Sarah appear together in 5 published lists, across 157 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Caitlin in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Sarah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Caitlin 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Caitlin and Sarah changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1989 and 2014, ending at #96 and #91.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Caitlin and Sarah averaged 27.6 places apart, ending at #78 and #36.
- Longest-running competitions
Caitlin and Sarah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 48 years, from 1967 to 2025, ending at #247 and #66.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Caitlin #2 in 2002, Sarah #5 in 2002.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1967–2025
Caitlin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 48.
Highest recorded here: Caitlin #31 in 2003, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Caitlin #247, Sarah #66.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Caitlin held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Sarah in 16.
Highest recorded here: Caitlin #21 in 2001, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Caitlin #610, Sarah #130.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Caitlin held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sarah in 23.
Highest recorded here: Caitlin #2 in 2002, Sarah #5 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Caitlin #119, Sarah #75.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls27 shared years, 1987–2013
Caitlin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 27.
Highest recorded here: Caitlin #10 in 1998, Sarah #2 in 1987.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Caitlin #78, Sarah #36.
New Zealand · Girls25 shared years, 1989–2014
Caitlin held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sarah in 23.
Highest recorded here: Caitlin #10 in 1998, Sarah #1 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Caitlin #96, Sarah #91.
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 | Caitlin | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | An Anglicized form of Caitlín, itself a cognate of Katherine/Catalina traditions across Europe. | 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 | Irish, cognate of the wider Katherine family | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪt.lɪn/ | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #247 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Caitlin is recorded with a Irish, cognate of the wider Katherine family origin, while Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Caitlin and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
- Caitlin'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Caitlin
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #393 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2002 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #247 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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