Maria vs Sharon
Maria 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2001, Maria was ranked #3 and Sharon #512 among girls in Norway.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1981, Maria was ranked #53 and Sharon #78 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1982, Maria was ranked #69 and Sharon #88 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Maria was ranked #69 and Sharon #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Maria was ranked #73 and Sharon #366 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Maria was ranked #91 and Sharon #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Maria was ranked #120 and Sharon #638 among girls in Scotland.
Maria and Sharon over time
Maria and Sharon appear together in 5 published lists, across 166 years of shared records. Maria held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Sharon in 2.
The order between them changed and held in one 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 4 of those lists, Maria 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 1980, Maria moved ahead of Sharon in New Zealand · Girls — #61 and #49 the year before became #55 and #69.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Maria and Sharon averaged 14.0 places apart, ending at #69 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
Maria and Sharon were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 31 years, from 1952 to 1982, ending at #69 and #88.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Maria #13 in 1966, Sharon #2 in 1965.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #33 and #39 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2020 they were #69 and #834.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls55 shared years, 1964–2020
Maria held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Sharon in 20.
Highest recorded here: Maria #23 in 1967, Sharon #5 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Maria #69, Sharon #834.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls31 shared years, 1952–1982
Maria held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Sharon in 27.
Highest recorded here: Maria #13 in 1966, Sharon #2 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1982: Maria #69, Sharon #88.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Maria held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sharon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Maria #66 in 2018, Sharon #539 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Maria #91, Sharon #2000.
New Zealand · Girls28 shared years, 1954–1981
Maria held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Sharon in 24.
Highest recorded here: Maria #21 in 1967, Sharon #5 in 1964.
The order changed in 1980: Maria moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #61 and #49; by 1980 that had become #55 and #69.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Maria #53, Sharon #78.
Norway · Girls23 shared years, 1961–2001
Maria held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Sharon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Maria #3 in 1985, Sharon #354 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Maria #3, Sharon #512.
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 | Maria | Sharon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | The Latin form of Greek Maria, from Hebrew Miryam (see Mary). | 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 | Biblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | /mɑ.ˈriː.ɑ/ | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ |
| 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 | Norway · Girls #62 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Maria is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Latin transmission origin, while Sharon is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) origin.
- Maria and Sharon both have 2 syllables.
- Maria'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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Maria
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #126 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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