Namewise

Hannah vs Sarah

Hannah 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.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Hannah was ranked #21 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2021, Hannah was ranked #39 and Sarah #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2019, Hannah was ranked #53 and Sarah #100 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Hannah was ranked #57 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Hannah was ranked #66 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Hannah was ranked #107 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Hannah was ranked #116 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.

Hannah and Sarah over time

Hannah and Sarah appear together in 6 published lists, across 249 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

The order between them changed and held in 4 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 3 of those lists, Hannah in 2. 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 2006, Hannah moved ahead of Sarah in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #13 and #12 the year before became #12 and #16.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Hannah and Sarah changed places 9 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #57 and #75.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Hannah and Sarah averaged 37.7 places apart, ending at #107 and #130.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Hannah and Sarah were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 39 years, from 1983 to 2021, ending at #39 and #96.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Hannah #6 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025

    Hannah held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sarah in 51.

    Highest recorded here: Hannah #5 in 2019, Sarah #1 in 1983.

    The order changed in 2015: Hannah moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #13 and #12; by 2015 that had become #12 and #14.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Hannah #21, Sarah #66.

  • Norway · Girls49 shared years, 1976–2025

    Hannah held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Sarah in 27.

    Highest recorded here: Hannah #25 in 2005, Sarah #35 in 2007.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Hannah #116, Sarah #115.

  • New Zealand · Girls42 shared years, 1978–2019

    Hannah held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Sarah in 18.

    Highest recorded here: Hannah #2 in 1996, Sarah #1 in 1978.

    The order changed in 1996: Hannah moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #3 and #2; by 1996 that had become #2 and #3.

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Hannah #53, Sarah #100.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls39 shared years, 1983–2021

    Hannah held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sarah in 23.

    Highest recorded here: Hannah #8 in 1997, Sarah #2 in 1983.

    The order changed in 2006: Hannah moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #13 and #12; by 2006 that had become #12 and #16.

    Most recent shared year, 2021: Hannah #39, Sarah #96.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Hannah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sarah in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Hannah #6 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Hannah #107, Sarah #130.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Hannah held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Sarah in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Hannah #6 in 1998, Sarah #5 in 2002.

    The order changed in 2013: Hannah moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #21 and #20; by 2013 that had become #22 and #29.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Hannah #57, 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Hannah

Pairs where Hannah shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Sarah

Pairs where Sarah shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2010s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2010 and 2019.

The 2010s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Hannah, Sarah
FieldHannahSarah
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'favour' or 'grace', referring to graciousness.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.
OriginBiblical HebrewBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈhænə//ˈsɛɹ.ə/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #21 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Both Hannah and Sarah share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
  • Hannah and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
  • Hannah'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.

How each name got here

Hannah

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #91 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1978–2023

    Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New Zealand, in 1996 (recorded 1978–2023).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #73 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

Sarah

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1958–2019

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 1974 (recorded 1958–2019).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #115 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls