Namewise

Lisa vs Sarah

Lisa 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 1997, Lisa was ranked #100 and Sarah #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 1997, Lisa was ranked #85 and Sarah #4 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2019, Lisa was ranked #336 and Sarah #37 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Lisa was ranked #443 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Lisa was ranked #174 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Lisa was ranked #661 and Sarah #131 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Lisa was ranked #790 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.

Lisa and Sarah over time

Lisa and Sarah appear together in 6 published lists, across 243 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Lisa in 1.

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.

Lisa reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Sarah 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 1979, Sarah moved ahead of Lisa in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #5 and #6 the year before became #7 and #3.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Lisa and Sarah changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #443 and #66.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 33 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Lisa and Sarah averaged 32.6 places apart, ending at #100 and #3.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Lisa and Sarah were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #661 and #131.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Lisa #105 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls65 shared years, 1960–2025

    Lisa held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Sarah in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #37 in 1994, Sarah #35 in 2007.

    The order changed in 2000: Sarah moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #54 and #76; by 2000 that had become #68 and #53.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lisa #174, Sarah #115.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025

    Lisa held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Sarah in 55.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #3 in 1984, Sarah #1 in 1983.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lisa #443, Sarah #66.

  • New Zealand · Girls36 shared years, 1962–1997

    Lisa held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Sarah in 28.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #1 in 1968, Sarah #1 in 1974.

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

    Most recent shared year, 1997: Lisa #85, Sarah #4.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls33 shared years, 1965–1997

    Lisa held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Sarah in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #2 in 1968, Sarah #2 in 1981.

    The order changed in 1979: Sarah moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #5 and #6; by 1979 that had become #7 and #3.

    Most recent shared year, 1997: Lisa #100, Sarah #3.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Lisa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #105 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lisa #661, Sarah #131.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2019

    Lisa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 17.

    Highest recorded here: Lisa #63 in 1997, Sarah #5 in 2002.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Lisa #336, Sarah #37.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Lisa

Pairs where Lisa shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Sarah

Pairs where Sarah shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 1990s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 1990 and 1999.

The 1990s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Lisa, Sarah
FieldLisaSarah
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningA short form of Elizabeth, often used independently — notably the name of the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.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.
OriginHebrew, short form of ElizabethBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈliː.sə//ˈsɛɹ.ə/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #174 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Lisa is recorded with a Hebrew, short form of Elizabeth origin, while Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
  • Lisa and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
  • Lisa'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

Lisa

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #330 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1962–1997

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1962–1997).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #661 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · 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 #131 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls