Namewise

Cara vs Sarah

Cara 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Cara was ranked #33 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Cara was ranked #52 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Cara was ranked #454 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Cara was ranked #196 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.

Cara and Sarah over time

Cara and Sarah appear together in 3 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cara in 0.

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.

Sarah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Cara 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 2015, Cara moved ahead of Sarah in Northern Ireland · Girls — #29 and #25 the year before became #20 and #31.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Cara and Sarah averaged 22.8 places apart, ending at #33 and #75.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 60 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Cara rose about as far as Sarah fell — from #344 and #40 in 1966 to #52 and #66 in 2025.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Cara and Sarah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 60 years, from 1966 to 2025, ending at #52 and #66.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025

    Cara held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Sarah in 54.

    Highest recorded here: Cara #27 in 2023, Sarah #1 in 1983.

    The order changed in 2021: Cara moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #36 and #30; by 2021 that had become #33 and #43.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Cara #52, Sarah #66.

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

    Cara held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Cara #140 in 2001, Sarah #18 in 1996.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #454, Sarah #130.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Cara held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sarah in 17.

    Highest recorded here: Cara #19 in 2007, Sarah #5 in 2002.

    The order changed in 2015: Cara moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #29 and #25; by 2015 that had become #20 and #31.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #33, 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 Cara

Pairs where Cara 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 — mirrored each other.

All mirrored each other→

Other pairs from Republic of Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Republic of Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Republic of Ireland 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 Cara, Sarah
FieldCaraSarah
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningGenuinely dual-sourced: an Italian word meaning 'beloved', or independently an Irish word meaning 'friend' — Behind the Name records both without resolving between them.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.
OriginDisputed — possibly Italian, possibly IrishBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈkɑɹ.ə//ˈsɛɹ.ə/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesCaraghNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IEAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • Cara is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish origin, while Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
  • Cara and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
  • Cara's recorded meaning differs from Sarah's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
  • The available evidence gives Cara a "high" Data Confidence level and Sarah a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

How each name got here

Cara

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1966

    First recorded at #344 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · 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