Namewise

Jenna vs Sarah

Jenna 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.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 1991, Jenna was ranked #99 and Sarah #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2004, Jenna was ranked #93 and Sarah #17 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2022, Jenna was ranked #354 and Sarah #53 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Jenna was ranked #885 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Jenna was ranked #1302 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Jenna was ranked #638 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.

Jenna and Sarah over time

Jenna and Sarah appear together in 5 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Jenna in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Sarah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Jenna 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

    Jenna and Sarah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 44 years, from 1979 to 2025, ending at #885 and #66.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Jenna #148 in 1997, Sarah #18 in 1996.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls44 shared years, 19792025

    Jenna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 44.

    Highest recorded here: Jenna #107 in 1984, Sarah #1 in 1984.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jenna #885, Sarah #66.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 19962024

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

    Highest recorded here: Jenna #148 in 1997, Sarah #18 in 1996.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Jenna #1302, Sarah #130.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 19972022

    Jenna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 24.

    Highest recorded here: Jenna #74 in 2005, Sarah #5 in 2002.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2022: Jenna #354, Sarah #53.

  • New Zealand · Girls12 shared years, 19832004

    Jenna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Jenna #12 in 1985, Sarah #1 in 1983.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2004: Jenna #93, Sarah #17.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls8 shared years, 19841991

    Jenna held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 8.

    Highest recorded here: Jenna #33 in 1987, Sarah #2 in 1984.

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

    Most recent shared year, 1991: Jenna #99, Sarah #2.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Jenna, Sarah
FieldJennaSarah
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedFrom 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.
OriginNot yet recordedBiblical Hebrew
PronunciationNot yet recorded/ˈsɛɹ.ə/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Sarah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Jenna does not have one recorded yet.
  • Jenna and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
  • A meaning is recorded for Sarah; Jenna 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

Jenna

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1979

    First recorded at #391 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1983–2004

    Highest recorded position: #12 among girls in New Zealand, in 1985 (recorded 1983–2004).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · 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