Joanne vs Sharon
Joanne and Sharoncompared 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 1981, Joanne was ranked #28 and Sharon #78 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1982, Joanne was ranked #43 and Sharon #88 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2006, Joanne was ranked #384 and Sharon #384 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Joanne was ranked #628 and Sharon #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Joanne was ranked #2000 and Sharon #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Joanne and Sharon over time
Joanne and Sharon appear together in 4 published lists, across 143 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Sharon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Joanne 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 1970, Joanne moved ahead of Sharon in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #6 and #4 the year before became #5 and #7.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joanne and Sharon changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #2000 and #2000.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Joanne and Sharon averaged 17.1 places apart, ending at #43 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
Joanne and Sharon were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 31 years, from 1952 to 1982, ending at #43 and #88.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Joanne #168 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls55 shared years, 1964–2020
Joanne held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sharon in 42.
Highest recorded here: Joanne #29 in 1979, Sharon #5 in 1970.
The order changed in 2020: Joanne moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #871 and #871; by 2020 that had become #628 and #834.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Joanne #628, Sharon #834.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls31 shared years, 1952–1982
Joanne held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Sharon in 18.
Highest recorded here: Joanne #5 in 1970, Sharon #2 in 1965.
The order changed in 1970: Joanne moved ahead. In 1969 they stood at #6 and #4; by 1970 that had become #5 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 1982: Joanne #43, Sharon #88.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joanne held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Sharon in 9.
Highest recorded here: Joanne #168 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joanne #2000, Sharon #2000.
New Zealand · Girls28 shared years, 1954–1981
Joanne held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Sharon in 9.
Highest recorded here: Joanne #4 in 1969, Sharon #5 in 1964.
The order changed in 1965: Joanne moved ahead. In 1964 they stood at #6 and #5; by 1965 that had become #5 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Joanne #28, Sharon #78.
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 | Joanne | Sharon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A variant of Joan/Johanne, ultimately from the same Hebrew-via-Greek-via-Old-French tradition as John (Yochanan, 'Yahweh is gracious') — sometimes also read as a blend of Jo and Anne. | From a Hebrew place name — a fertile plain on the central west coast of Israel, also referenced in the biblical 'rose of Sharon' flowering plant. Used as a feminine given name in English since the 1920s. |
| Origin | English and French, from Hebrew via Greek Ioannes | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | /d͡ʒoʊ.ˈæn/ | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Joanne is recorded with a English and French, from Hebrew via Greek Ioannes origin, while Sharon is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) origin.
- Joanne and Sharon both have 2 syllables.
- Joanne's recorded meaning differs from Sharon's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Joanne
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #77 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1986
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in New Zealand, in 1969 (recorded 1954–1986).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Sharon
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #47 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1982
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1965 (recorded 1952–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls