Fiona vs Sharon
Fiona 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, Fiona was ranked #37 and Sharon #78 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1982, Fiona was ranked #48 and Sharon #88 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Fiona was ranked #430 and Sharon #366 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 1999, Fiona was ranked #464 and Sharon #633 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Fiona was ranked #544 and Sharon #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Fiona was ranked #638 and Sharon #638 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Fiona was ranked #1406 and Sharon #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Fiona and Sharon over time
Fiona and Sharon appear together in 4 published lists, across 137 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 3 of those lists, and Fiona 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, Fiona moved ahead of Sharon in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #16 and #10 the year before became #15 and #16.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Fiona and Sharon changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2020, ending at #544 and #834.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Fiona and Sharon averaged 26.3 places apart, ending at #48 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
Fiona and Sharon were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 55 years, from 1964 to 2020, ending at #544 and #834.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Fiona #157 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #32 and #39 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2020 they were #544 and #834.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls55 shared years, 1964–2020
Fiona held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Sharon in 7.
Highest recorded here: Fiona #4 in 1971, Sharon #5 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Fiona #544, Sharon #834.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Fiona held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sharon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Fiona #157 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Fiona #1406, Sharon #2000.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls27 shared years, 1956–1982
Fiona held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Sharon in 17.
Highest recorded here: Fiona #12 in 1969, Sharon #2 in 1965.
The order changed in 1973: Fiona moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #16 and #10; by 1973 that had become #15 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 1982: Fiona #48, Sharon #88.
New Zealand · Girls26 shared years, 1955–1981
Fiona held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sharon in 15.
Highest recorded here: Fiona #14 in 1969, Sharon #5 in 1964.
The order changed in 1971: Fiona moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #18 and #14; by 1971 that had become #19 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Fiona #37, 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 | Fiona | Sharon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | The feminine form of Fionn. Popularized by Scottish poet James Macpherson in his 1761 poem Fingal, where it was spelled 'Fióna'. | 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 | Scottish, feminine of Fionn | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | /fi.ˈoʊ.nə/ | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Girls #325 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Fiona is recorded with a Scottish, feminine of Fionn origin, while Sharon is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) origin.
- Fiona and Sharon both have 2 syllables.
- Fiona'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
Fiona
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #87 among girls in New Zealand in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1971 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #399 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