Namewise

Cecilie vs Sarah

Cecilie 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.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Cecilie was ranked #3705 and Sarah #131 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2024, Cecilie was ranked #452 and Sarah #132 among girls in Norway.

Cecilie and Sarah over time

Cecilie and Sarah appear together in 2 published lists, across 79 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

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.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.

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 2000, Sarah moved ahead of Cecilie in Norway · Girls — #63 and #76 the year before became #79 and #53.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 64 shared years in Norway · Girls, Sarah rose about as far as Cecilie fell — from #207 and #490 in 1960 to #452 and #132 in 2024.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Cecilie and Sarah were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 64 years, from 1960 to 2024, ending at #452 and #132.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls64 shared years, 1960–2024

    Cecilie held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Sarah in 25.

    Highest recorded here: Cecilie #17 in 1975, Sarah #35 in 2007.

    The order changed in 2000: Sarah moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #63 and #76; by 2000 that had become #79 and #53.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Cecilie #452, Sarah #132.

  • England and Wales · Girls15 shared years, 1997–2025

    Cecilie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 15.

    Highest recorded here: Cecilie #2504 in 2023, Sarah #22 in 1997.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Cecilie #3705, Sarah #131.

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 Cecilie

Pairs where Cecilie 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 Norway lists

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

Norway 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 Cecilie, Sarah
FieldCecilieSarah
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedFrom 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.
OriginNot yet recordedBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈsɛɹ.ə/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, NOAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #3705 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)60/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Sarah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Cecilie does not have one recorded yet.
  • Cecilie has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sarah.
  • A meaning is recorded for Sarah; Cecilie doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.

How each name got here

Cecilie

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #359 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1945–2024

    Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Norway, in 1975 (recorded 1945–2024).

    Norway · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #3705 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · 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 #131 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls