Ester vs Sara
Ester and Saracompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ester was ranked #209 and Sara #43 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ester was ranked #2115 and Sara #97 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2014, Ester was ranked #876 and Sara #99 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ester and Sara over time
Ester and Sara appear together in 3 published lists, across 107 years of shared records. Sara held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ester in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ester reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Sara 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ester and Sara changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1947 and 2025, ending at #209 and #43.
- Mirrored each other
Over 70 shared years in Norway · Girls, Sara rose about as far as Ester fell — from #134 and #385 in 1947 to #209 and #43 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Ester and Sara were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 70 years, from 1947 to 2025, ending at #209 and #43.
List by list
Norway · Girls70 shared years, 1947–2025
Ester held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Sara in 58.
Highest recorded here: Ester #134 in 1947, Sara #4 in 2013.
The order changed in 1967: Sara moved ahead. In 1966 they stood at #258 and #283; by 1967 that had become #260 and #214.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ester #209, Sara #43.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ester held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sara in 28.
Highest recorded here: Ester #1326 in 2022, Sara #82 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ester #2115, Sara #97.
Republic of Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 1964–2014
Ester held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sara in 9.
Highest recorded here: Ester #282 in 1965, Sara #78 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Ester #876, Sara #99.
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 | Ester | Sara |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A variant spelling of Sarah, traditionally interpreted as 'lady', 'princess', or 'noblewoman'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈsɛrə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #209 (2025) | Norway · Girls #43 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sara has a recorded origin (Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages); Ester does not have one recorded yet.
- Ester and Sara both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Sara; Ester doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Ester
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #155 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #134 among girls in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #209 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Sara
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #385 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1947–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Norway, in 2013 (recorded 1947–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #43 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls