Grace vs Sarah
Grace 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 2024, Grace was ranked #1 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #4 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2021, Grace was ranked #7 and Sarah #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Grace was ranked #11 and Sarah #100 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #13 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #25 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #503 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.
Grace and Sarah over time
Grace and Sarah appear together in 6 published lists, across 233 years of shared records. Grace held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Sarah in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 6 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Sarah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Grace 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 1999, Grace moved ahead of Sarah in England and Wales · Girls — #35 and #27 the year before became #28 and #31.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 34 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Grace and Sarah averaged 29.9 places apart, ending at #7 and #96.
- Longest-running competitions
Grace and Sarah were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 34 years, from 1988 to 2021, ending at #7 and #96.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Sarah in 47.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2020, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order changed in 2011: Grace moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #7 and #5; by 2011 that had become #4 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #4, Sarah #66.
Norway · Girls47 shared years, 1960–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Sarah in 43.
Highest recorded here: Grace #354 in 2017, Sarah #42 in 2002.
The order changed in 1969: Sarah moved ahead. In 1968 they stood at #505 and #524; by 1969 that had become #494 and #395.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #503, Sarah #115.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls34 shared years, 1988–2021
Grace held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Sarah in 16.
Highest recorded here: Grace #7 in 2018, Sarah #2 in 1988.
The order changed in 2004: Grace moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #10 and #6; by 2004 that had become #10 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Grace #7, Sarah #96.
New Zealand · Girls33 shared years, 1987–2019
Grace held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sarah in 12.
Highest recorded here: Grace #5 in 2000, Sarah #1 in 1987.
The order changed in 1999: Grace moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #8 and #7; by 1999 that had become #6 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Grace #11, Sarah #100.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Sarah in 3.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2006, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order changed in 1999: Grace moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #35 and #27; by 1999 that had become #28 and #31.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #25, Sarah #130.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Sarah in 9.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2013, Sarah #5 in 2002.
The order changed in 2006: Grace moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #22 and #8; by 2006 that had become #2 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #1, Sarah #75.
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 | Grace | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Grace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name). | 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 | English (virtue name), from Latin gratia | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹeɪs/ | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Gracie | 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 #4 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin, while Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Grace and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
- Grace's recorded meaning differs from Sarah's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Grace a "high" Data Confidence level and Sarah a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Grace
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #393 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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 #115 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls