Frances vs Sharon
Frances 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 South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1965, Frances was ranked #98 and Sharon #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1965, Frances was ranked #100 and Sharon #8 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2008, Frances was ranked #370 and Sharon #439 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Frances was ranked #425 and Sharon #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Frances was ranked #541 and Sharon #638 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Frances was ranked #871 and Sharon #871 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Frances and Sharon over time
Frances and Sharon appear together in 4 published lists, across 102 years of shared records. Sharon held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Frances in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Frances reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Sharon 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
Frances and Sharon were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 48 years, from 1964 to 2019, ending at #871 and #871.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Frances #161 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1964–2019
Frances held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sharon in 44.
Highest recorded here: Frances #38 in 1964, Sharon #5 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Frances #871, Sharon #871.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Frances held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sharon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Frances #161 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Frances #425, Sharon #2000.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls14 shared years, 1952–1965
Frances held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sharon in 14.
Highest recorded here: Frances #62 in 1954, Sharon #2 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1965: Frances #98, Sharon #2.
New Zealand · Girls11 shared years, 1954–1965
Frances held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sharon in 11.
Highest recorded here: Frances #52 in 1954, Sharon #5 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1965: Frances #100, Sharon #8.
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 | Frances | Sharon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #425 (2024) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Sharon has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (place name origin)); Frances does not have one recorded yet.
- Frances and Sharon both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Sharon; Frances doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Frances
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #64 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 recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #38 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #425 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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