Lucy vs Sarah
Lucy 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Lucy was ranked #16 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Lucy was ranked #20 and Sarah #100 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lucy was ranked #28 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2021, Lucy was ranked #30 and Sarah #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Lucy was ranked #38 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Lucy was ranked #296 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Lucy was ranked #123 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.
Lucy and Sarah over time
Lucy and Sarah appear together in 6 published lists, across 229 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lucy in 2.
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 Lucy 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 2010, Lucy moved ahead of Sarah in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #23 and #20 the year before became #21 and #23.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Lucy and Sarah averaged 42.5 places apart, ending at #123 and #130.
- Longest-running competitions
Lucy and Sarah were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 37 years, from 1985 to 2021, ending at #30 and #96.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Lucy held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Sarah in 47.
Highest recorded here: Lucy #3 in 2016, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order changed in 2012: Lucy moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #7 and #6; by 2012 that had become #9 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lucy #16, Sarah #66.
New Zealand · Girls39 shared years, 1979–2019
Lucy held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sarah in 23.
Highest recorded here: Lucy #12 in 2006, Sarah #1 in 1979.
The order changed in 2004: Lucy moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #15 and #11; by 2004 that had become #14 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Lucy #20, Sarah #100.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls37 shared years, 1985–2021
Lucy held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Sarah in 25.
Highest recorded here: Lucy #20 in 2012, Sarah #2 in 1985.
The order changed in 2010: Lucy moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #23 and #20; by 2010 that had become #21 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Lucy #30, Sarah #96.
Norway · Girls34 shared years, 1964–2025
Lucy held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sarah in 33.
Highest recorded here: Lucy #212 in 2018, Sarah #35 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lucy #296, Sarah #115.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lucy held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sarah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lucy #7 in 2003, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lucy #123, Sarah #130.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Lucy held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Sarah in 9.
Highest recorded here: Lucy #4 in 2007, Sarah #5 in 2002.
The order changed in 2006: Lucy moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #12 and #8; by 2006 that had become #6 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lucy #38, 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 | Lucy | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | The English form of Lucia, from Latin 'lux' meaning 'light'. In use since the Middle Ages. | 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 | Latin | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈluː.si/ | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 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 #16 (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
- Lucy is recorded with a Latin origin, while Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Lucy and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
- Lucy'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
Lucy
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #523 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #32 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