Deborah vs Sarah
Deborah 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1985, Deborah was ranked #94 and Sarah #1 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1980, Deborah was ranked #86 and Sarah #4 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Deborah was ranked #451 and Sarah #20 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Deborah was ranked #608 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Deborah was ranked #429 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #708 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #790 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
Deborah and Sarah over time
Deborah and Sarah appear together in 6 published lists, across 168 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Deborah in 1.
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.
Deborah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1973, Sarah moved ahead of Deborah in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #33 and #36 the year before became #34 and #24.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Deborah and Sarah changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #608 and #66.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Deborah and Sarah averaged 43.4 places apart, ending at #94 and #1.
- Longest-running competitions
Deborah and Sarah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 59 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #608 and #66.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Deborah #302 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025
Deborah held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Sarah in 56.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Deborah #608, Sarah #66.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 29.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #708, Sarah #130.
New Zealand · Girls27 shared years, 1958–1985
Deborah held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Sarah in 13.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1966, Sarah #1 in 1974.
The order changed in 1972: Sarah moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #10 and #13; by 1972 that had become #14 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 1985: Deborah #94, Sarah #1.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1960–2025
Deborah held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sarah in 25.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #397 in 1960, Sarah #42 in 2002.
The order changed in 1964: Sarah moved ahead. In 1963 they stood at #397 and #490; by 1964 that had become #458 and #329.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Deborah #429, Sarah #115.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls16 shared years, 1965–1980
Deborah held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Sarah in 9.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #14 in 1966, Sarah #3 in 1979.
The order changed in 1973: Sarah moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #33 and #36; by 1973 that had become #34 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 1980: Deborah #86, Sarah #4.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1997–2012
Deborah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 11.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #116 in 1997, Sarah #5 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Deborah #451, Sarah #20.
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 | Deborah | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From Hebrew, meaning 'bee'. In the biblical Book of Judges, Deborah was a prophetess who led the Israelites against Canaanite forces. | 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 | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɛb.ə.ɹə/ | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 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 | Norway · Girls #429 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Both Deborah and Sarah share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sarah.
- Deborah'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, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Deborah
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #51 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1980
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1957 (recorded 1952–1980).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #429 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