Hazel vs Sara
Hazel 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Hazel was ranked #55 and Sara #127 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Hazel was ranked #75 and Sara #97 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Hazel was ranked #97 and Sara #164 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Hazel was ranked #169 and Sara #161 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Hazel and Sara over time
Hazel and Sara appear together in 3 published lists, across 100 years of shared records. Sara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Hazel in 1.
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.
Sara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Hazel 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 2023, Hazel moved ahead of Sara in England and Wales · Girls — #108 and #99 the year before became #90 and #107.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Hazel and Sara changed places 12 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #55 and #127.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Hazel and Sara averaged 30.6 places apart, ending at #55 and #127.
- Longest-running competitions
Hazel and Sara were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #55 and #127.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Hazel held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Sara in 22.
Highest recorded here: Hazel #44 in 2024, Sara #78 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hazel #55, Sara #127.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Hazel held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sara in 27.
Highest recorded here: Hazel #75 in 2024, Sara #82 in 2017.
The order changed in 2023: Hazel moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #108 and #99; by 2023 that had become #90 and #107.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hazel #75, Sara #97.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2008–2024
Hazel held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sara in 8.
Highest recorded here: Hazel #169 in 2024, Sara #73 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hazel #169, Sara #161.
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 | Hazel | Sara |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From the English word for the hazel tree, or the light brown colour associated with it, ultimately from Old English 'hæsel'. Created as a given name in the 19th century. | A variant spelling of Sarah, traditionally interpreted as 'lady', 'princess', or 'noblewoman'. |
| Origin | English (nature name) | Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages |
| Pronunciation | /ˈheɪ.zəl/ | /ˈsɛrə/ |
| 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #8 (2025) | Norway · Girls #43 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Hazel is recorded with a English (nature name) origin, while Sara is recorded with a Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages origin.
- Hazel and Sara both have 2 syllables.
- Hazel's recorded meaning differs from Sara's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Hazel
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #154 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
Highest recorded2014–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 2014–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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