Carol vs Sharon
Carol 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 1968, Carol was ranked #90 and Sharon #4 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1971, Carol was ranked #96 and Sharon #24 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Carol was ranked #351 and Sharon #213 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Carol was ranked #663 and Sharon #510 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Carol was ranked #3519 and Sharon #1962 among girls in England and Wales.
Carol and Sharon over time
Carol and Sharon appear together in 4 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Sharon held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Carol in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Carol reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 Carol in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #34 and #35 the year before became #34 and #23.
- Longest-running competitions
Carol and Sharon were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1964 to 2010, ending at #663 and #510.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Carol #802 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1964–2010
Carol held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sharon in 44.
Highest recorded here: Carol #34 in 1968, Sharon #5 in 1970.
The order changed in 1965: Sharon moved ahead. In 1964 they stood at #36 and #39; by 1965 that had become #37 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Carol #663, Sharon #510.
England and Wales · Girls24 shared years, 1996–2021
Carol held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sharon in 24.
Highest recorded here: Carol #802 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Carol #3519, Sharon #1962.
New Zealand · Girls18 shared years, 1954–1971
Carol held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Sharon in 15.
Highest recorded here: Carol #19 in 1957, Sharon #5 in 1964.
The order changed in 1958: Sharon moved ahead. In 1957 they stood at #19 and #23; by 1958 that had become #21 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 1971: Carol #96, Sharon #24.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls17 shared years, 1952–1968
Carol held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Sharon in 14.
Highest recorded here: Carol #26 in 1952, Sharon #2 in 1965.
The order changed in 1955: Sharon moved ahead. In 1954 they stood at #34 and #35; by 1955 that had become #34 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 1968: Carol #90, Sharon #4.
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 | Carol | 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 | Not yet recorded | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3523 (2023) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 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)); Carol does not have one recorded yet.
- Carol and Sharon both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Sharon; Carol doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Carol
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #26 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 recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New Zealand, in 1957 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #3523 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys
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