Colette vs Sarah
Colette 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 2018, Colette was ranked #896 and Sarah #21 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Colette was ranked #1672 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.
Colette and Sarah over time
Colette and Sarah appear together in 2 published lists, across 70 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Colette in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Colette reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Sarah 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Colette and Sarah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 41 years, from 1964 to 2018, ending at #896 and #21.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Colette #479 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #47 and #46 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 1 places apart; by 2018 they were #896 and #21.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls41 shared years, 1964–2018
Colette held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 41.
Highest recorded here: Colette #47 in 1964, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Colette #896, Sarah #21.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Colette held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 29.
Highest recorded here: Colette #479 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Colette #1672, Sarah #130.
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 | Colette | 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 | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #1672 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sarah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Colette does not have one recorded yet.
- Colette has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sarah.
- A meaning is recorded for Sarah; Colette doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Colette
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #47 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2018
Highest recorded position: #47 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1672 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
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 #115 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls