Cathrine vs Sara
Cathrine and Saracompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2020, Cathrine was ranked #478 and Sara #22 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2010, Cathrine was ranked #3533 and Sara #103 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1979, Cathrine was ranked #523 and Sara #170 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Cathrine and Sara over time
Cathrine and Sara appear together in 1 published list, across 59 years of shared records. Cathrine held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Sara in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Cathrine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Sara 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 1990, Sara moved ahead of Cathrine in Norway · Girls — #30 and #43 the year before became #39 and #36.
- Longest-running competitions
Cathrine and Sara were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 59 years, from 1957 to 2020, ending at #478 and #22.
List by list
Norway · Girls59 shared years, 1957–2020
Cathrine held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Sara in 27.
Highest recorded here: Cathrine #21 in 1978, Sara #4 in 2013.
The order changed in 1990: Sara moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #30 and #43; by 1990 that had become #39 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Cathrine #478, Sara #22.
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 | Cathrine | Sara |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A variant spelling of Sarah, traditionally interpreted as 'lady', 'princess', or 'noblewoman'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɛrə/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #478 (2020) | Norway · Girls #43 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sara has a recorded origin (Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages); Cathrine does not have one recorded yet.
- Cathrine has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sara.
- A meaning is recorded for Sara; Cathrine doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Cathrine
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #360 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1951–2020
Highest recorded position: #21 among girls in Norway, in 1978 (recorded 1951–2020).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #478 among girls in Norway, in 2020.
Norway · Girls
Sara
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #385 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1947–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Norway, in 2013 (recorded 1947–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #43 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls