Jessica vs Sarah
Jessica 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 2017, Jessica was ranked #96 and Sarah #46 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #48 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #141 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Jessica was ranked #127 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Jessica was ranked #85 and Sarah #100 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #474 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Jessica was ranked #139 and Sarah #131 among girls in England and Wales.
Jessica and Sarah over time
Jessica and Sarah appear together in 6 published lists, across 262 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Sarah in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 6 of those lists, and Jessica 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 2025, Sarah moved ahead of Jessica in England and Wales · Girls — #95 and #130 the year before became #139 and #131.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jessica and Sarah changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1976 and 2017, ending at #96 and #46.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Jessica and Sarah averaged 58.1 places apart, ending at #139 and #131.
- Mirrored each other
Over 60 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Jessica rose about as far as Sarah fell — from #380 and #40 in 1966 to #141 and #66 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Jessica and Sarah were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #139 and #131.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 60.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #12 in 1995, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #141, Sarah #66.
Norway · Girls59 shared years, 1964–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sarah in 54.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #143 in 2010, Sarah #35 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #474, Sarah #115.
New Zealand · Girls43 shared years, 1977–2019
Jessica held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Sarah in 13.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1990, Sarah #1 in 1977.
The order changed in 1990: Jessica moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #2 and #1; by 1990 that had become #1 and #2.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Jessica #85, Sarah #100.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls42 shared years, 1976–2017
Jessica held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Sarah in 12.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 1984, Sarah #2 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Jessica #96, Sarah #46.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Jessica held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sarah in 1.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #1 in 2005, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order changed in 2025: Sarah moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #95 and #130; by 2025 that had become #139 and #131.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jessica #139, Sarah #131.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jessica held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Sarah in 13.
Highest recorded here: Jessica #4 in 2008, Sarah #5 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jessica #127, 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.
Side by side
| Field | Jessica | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 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 | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ |
| 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 | England and Wales · Girls #139 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| 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 Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Jessica has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sarah.
- Jessica'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
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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #139 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #131 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls