Jessica vs Sara
Jessica 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1992, Jessica was ranked #1 and Sara #89 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2007, Jessica was ranked #10 and Sara #94 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #474 and Sara #43 among girls in Norway.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #48 and Sara #164 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #95 and Sara #97 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #127 and Sara #161 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #141 and Sara #127 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Jessica and Sara over time
Jessica and Sara appear together in 6 published lists, across 206 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Sara 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.
Jessica reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Sara in 1. 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 1977, Jessica moved ahead of Sara in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #96 and #82 the year before became #69 and #98.
- Longest-running competitions
Jessica and Sara were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 59 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #474 and #43.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Jessica #1 in 1984, Sara #51 in 1986.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Sara in 12.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #12 in 1995, Sara #78 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #141, Sara #127.
Norway · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sara in 58.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #143 in 2010, Sara #4 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #474, Sara #43.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jessica held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sara in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2005, Sara #82 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jessica #95, Sara #97.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jessica held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Sara in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #4 in 2008, Sara #73 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jessica #127, Sara #161.
New Zealand · Girls16 shared years, 1977–1992
Jessica held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sara in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1990, Sara #44 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Jessica #1, Sara #89.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls14 shared years, 1976–2007
Jessica held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Sara in 1.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1984, Sara #51 in 1986.
The order changed in 1977: Jessica moved ahead. In 1976 they stood at #96 and #82; by 1977 that had become #69 and #98.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Jessica #10, Sara #94.
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 | Jessica | Sara |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Coined by William Shakespeare for his 1596 play The Merchant of Venice, where it belongs to Shylock's daughter — likely based on the biblical name Iscah, also spelled Jescha/Jischa in some translations of Shakespeare's time. | A variant spelling of Sarah, traditionally interpreted as 'lady', 'princess', or 'noblewoman'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage | Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ | /ˈsɛrə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | 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 #141 (2025) | Norway · Girls #43 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin, while Sara is recorded with a Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages origin.
- Jessica has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sara.
- Jessica'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, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Jessica
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #471 among girls in Norway in 1964 — 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 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #474 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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