Leah vs Sarah
Leah 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Leah was ranked #12 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Leah was ranked #55 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #119 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2021, Leah was ranked #82 and Sarah #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Leah was ranked #82 and Sarah #100 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #184 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #145 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
Leah and Sarah over time
Leah and Sarah appear together in 6 published lists, across 217 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Leah in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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 Leah 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 Republic of Ireland · Girls, Leah moved into the top 50 at #43 in 2023 as Sarah fell out of it to #62, having been #47 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2021, Leah moved ahead of Sarah in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #83 and #65 the year before became #82 and #96.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Leah and Sarah changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #184 and #130.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Leah and Sarah averaged 22.6 places apart, ending at #184 and #130.
- Mirrored each other
Over 56 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Leah rose about as far as Sarah fell — from #310 and #40 in 1966 to #55 and #66 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Leah and Sarah were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 31 years, from 1968 to 2021, ending at #82 and #96.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Leah #47 in 1983, Sarah #2 in 1981.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1966–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Sarah in 52.
Highest recorded here: Leah #9 in 2004, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order changed in 2023: Leah moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #50 and #47; by 2023 that had become #43 and #62.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #55, Sarah #66.
Norway · Girls40 shared years, 1982–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Sarah in 20.
Highest recorded here: Leah #12 in 2025, Sarah #35 in 2007.
The order changed in 2006: Leah moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #53 and #47; by 2006 that had become #22 and #43.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #12, Sarah #115.
New Zealand · Girls33 shared years, 1976–2019
Leah held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Sarah in 26.
Highest recorded here: Leah #39 in 2012, Sarah #1 in 1976.
The order changed in 2017: Leah moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #84 and #68; by 2017 that had become #77 and #94.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Leah #82, Sarah #100.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls31 shared years, 1968–2021
Leah held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sarah in 30.
Highest recorded here: Leah #47 in 1983, Sarah #2 in 1981.
The order changed in 2021: Leah moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #83 and #65; by 2021 that had become #82 and #96.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Leah #82, Sarah #96.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leah held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sarah in 13.
Highest recorded here: Leah #24 in 2002, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leah #184, Sarah #130.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Leah held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Sarah in 24.
Highest recorded here: Leah #10 in 2005, Sarah #5 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leah #119, 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 | Leah | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Likely derives from a Hebrew word meaning 'weary, grieved'; an alternative theory suggests a connection to Akkadian 'littu' ('cow'). In the Old Testament, Leah was Jacob's first wife. | 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, etymology disputed | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliː.ə/ | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 | Norway · Girls #12 (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
- Leah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, etymology disputed origin, while Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Leah has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Sarah.
- Leah'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
Leah
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #310 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2025
Highest recorded position: #9 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1966–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #89 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