Clara vs Sarah
Clara 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, Clara was ranked #36 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Clara was ranked #73 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2020, Clara was ranked #87 and Sarah #73 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Clara was ranked #83 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Clara was ranked #84 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2017, Clara was ranked #100 and Sarah #94 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Clara was ranked #121 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.
Clara and Sarah over time
Clara and Sarah appear together in 4 published lists, across 161 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Clara 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.
Sarah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Clara 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, Clara moved ahead of Sarah in England and Wales · Girls — #121 and #95 the year before became #91 and #96.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Clara and Sarah changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #36 and #75.
- Longest-running competitions
Clara and Sarah were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 43 years, from 1967 to 2025, ending at #121 and #115.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls61 shared years, 1964–2025
Clara held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 61.
Highest recorded here: Clara #59 in 2019, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Clara #73, Sarah #66.
Norway · Girls43 shared years, 1967–2025
Clara held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sarah in 41.
Highest recorded here: Clara #121 in 2025, Sarah #35 in 2007.
The order changed in 2025: Sarah moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #126 and #132; by 2025 that had become #121 and #115.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Clara #121, Sarah #115.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Clara held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Sarah in 19.
Highest recorded here: Clara #84 in 2024, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order changed in 2015: Clara moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #121 and #95; by 2015 that had become #91 and #96.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Clara #84, Sarah #130.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Clara held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sarah in 21.
Highest recorded here: Clara #32 in 2017, Sarah #5 in 2002.
The order changed in 2023: Clara moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #53 and #53; by 2023 that had become #65 and #79.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Clara #36, 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 | Clara | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #73 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sarah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Clara does not have one recorded yet.
- Clara and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Sarah; Clara doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Clara
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #389 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #32 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2017 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #121 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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 #115 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls