Deborah vs Sharon
Deborah and Sharoncompared 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 1981, Deborah was ranked #58 and Sharon #78 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1980, Deborah was ranked #86 and Sharon #77 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2001, Deborah was ranked #293 and Sharon #343 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 1998, Deborah was ranked #495 and Sharon #520 among girls in Norway.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #790 and Sharon #638 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Deborah was ranked #700 and Sharon #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Deborah was ranked #708 and Sharon #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Deborah and Sharon over time
Deborah and Sharon appear together in 4 published lists, across 141 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Sharon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Deborah 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 1979, Deborah moved ahead of Sharon in New Zealand · Girls — #43 and #40 the year before became #40 and #49.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Deborah and Sharon changed places 5 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1954 and 1981, ending at #58 and #78.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Deborah and Sharon averaged 15.3 places apart, ending at #86 and #77.
- Longest-running competitions
Deborah and Sharon were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 55 years, from 1964 to 2020, ending at #700 and #834.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Deborah #302 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls55 shared years, 1964–2020
Deborah held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Sharon in 44.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #38 in 1981, Sharon #5 in 1970.
The order changed in 2018: Deborah moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #873 and #873; by 2018 that had become #568 and #629.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Deborah #700, Sharon #834.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Deborah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sharon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #302 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Deborah #708, Sharon #2000.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1952–1980
Deborah held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Sharon in 20.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1957, Sharon #2 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1980: Deborah #86, Sharon #77.
New Zealand · Girls28 shared years, 1954–1981
Deborah held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Sharon in 5.
Highest recorded here: Deborah #3 in 1966, Sharon #5 in 1964.
The order changed in 1979: Deborah moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #43 and #40; by 1979 that had become #40 and #49.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Deborah #58, Sharon #78.
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 | Sharon |
|---|---|---|
| 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 a Hebrew place name — a fertile plain on the central west coast of Israel, also referenced in the biblical 'rose of Sharon' flowering plant. Used as a feminine given name in English since the 1920s. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɛb.ə.ɹə/ | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ |
| 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) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Deborah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Sharon is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) origin.
- Deborah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sharon.
- Deborah's recorded meaning differs from Sharon'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
Sharon
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #47 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 recorded1952–1982
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1965 (recorded 1952–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls