Elaine vs Sarah
Elaine 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 2003, Elaine was ranked #331 and Sarah #8 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Elaine was ranked #608 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1958, Elaine was ranked #94 and Sarah #86 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Elaine was ranked #1133 and Sarah #131 among girls in England and Wales.
Elaine and Sarah over time
Elaine and Sarah appear together in 2 published lists, across 89 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Elaine in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Elaine 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
Elaine and Sarah were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1133 and #131.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Elaine #823 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025
Elaine held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sarah in 48.
Highest recorded here: Elaine #6 in 1982, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elaine #608, Sarah #66.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Elaine held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 30.
Highest recorded here: Elaine #823 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elaine #1133, Sarah #131.
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 | Elaine | 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 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); Elaine does not have one recorded yet.
- Elaine has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sarah.
- A meaning is recorded for Sarah; Elaine doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Elaine
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #71 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1982 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1133 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