Ivy vs Sarah
Ivy 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ivy was ranked #5 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ivy was ranked #14 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2021, Ivy was ranked #24 and Sarah #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Ivy was ranked #24 and Sarah #100 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ivy was ranked #35 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ivy was ranked #50 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ivy and Sarah over time
Ivy and Sarah appear together in 5 published lists, across 85 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ivy in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 5 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 5 of those lists, and Ivy 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Girls, Ivy moved into the top 50 at #30 in 2020 as Sarah fell out of it to #60, having been #37 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Ivy moved ahead of Sarah in England and Wales · Girls — #168 and #90 the year before became #88 and #95.
- Mirrored each other
Over 20 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Ivy rose about as far as Sarah fell — from #471 and #31 in 1972 to #50 and #66 in 2025.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ivy held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Sarah in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ivy #5 in 2021, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order changed in 2012: Ivy moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #168 and #90; by 2012 that had become #88 and #95.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ivy #5, Sarah #130.
Republic of Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 1972–2025
Ivy held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Sarah in 17.
Highest recorded here: Ivy #49 in 2023, Sarah #1 in 2002.
The order changed in 2023: Ivy moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #57 and #47; by 2023 that had become #49 and #62.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ivy #50, Sarah #66.
Northern Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 2009–2024
Ivy held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Sarah in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ivy #26 in 2023, Sarah #15 in 2009.
The order changed in 2020: Ivy moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #41 and #37; by 2020 that had become #30 and #60.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ivy #35, Sarah #75.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls13 shared years, 2009–2021
Ivy held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Sarah in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ivy #11 in 2020, Sarah #20 in 2009.
The order changed in 2012: Ivy moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #33 and #31; by 2012 that had become #22 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Ivy #24, Sarah #96.
New Zealand · Girls9 shared years, 2010–2019
Ivy held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Sarah in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ivy #24 in 2019, Sarah #41 in 2010.
The order changed in 2013: Ivy moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #54 and #42; by 2013 that had become #39 and #75.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Ivy #24, Sarah #100.
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 | Ivy | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From the English word for the ivy plant. | 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 (plant name) | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪvi/ | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ |
| 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 #30 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ivy is recorded with a English (plant name) origin, while Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Ivy and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
- Ivy'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Ivy
Popularity journey
First recorded1972
First recorded at #471 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1972 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #30 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