Claire vs Sarah
Claire 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Claire was ranked #352 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2013, Claire was ranked #96 and Sarah #75 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Claire was ranked #407 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2021, Claire was ranked #79 and Sarah #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Claire was ranked #1362 and Sarah #131 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Claire was ranked #638 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
Claire and Sarah over time
Claire and Sarah appear together in 5 published lists, across 193 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Claire 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.
Sarah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Claire in 1. 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 2021, Claire moved ahead of Sarah in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #87 and #73 the year before became #79 and #96.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 46 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Claire and Sarah averaged 45.4 places apart, ending at #79 and #96.
- Longest-running competitions
Claire and Sarah were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1362 and #131.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Claire #90 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Claire held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 62.
Highest recorded here: Claire #10 in 1984, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Claire #352, Sarah #66.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls46 shared years, 1976–2021
Claire held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sarah in 44.
Highest recorded here: Claire #40 in 1990, Sarah #2 in 1981.
The order changed in 2021: Claire moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #87 and #73; by 2021 that had become #79 and #96.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Claire #79, Sarah #96.
New Zealand · Girls32 shared years, 1958–2013
Claire held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 32.
Highest recorded here: Claire #23 in 1980, Sarah #1 in 1974.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Claire #96, Sarah #75.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Claire held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 30.
Highest recorded here: Claire #90 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Claire #1362, Sarah #131.
Northern Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 1997–2024
Claire held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 23.
Highest recorded here: Claire #26 in 1998, Sarah #5 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Claire #407, 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.
Side by side
| Field | Claire | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | The French form of Clara, from Latin 'clarus' meaning 'clear, bright'. | 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 | Latin, via French transmission | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /klɛʁ/ | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Clara | 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 #352 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Claire is recorded with a Latin, via French transmission origin, while Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Claire and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
- Claire'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.
- The available evidence gives Claire 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
Claire
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #98 among girls in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1984 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1362 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #131 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls