Marthe vs Sara
Marthe and Saracompared 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 2023, Marthe was ranked #448 and Sara #24 among girls in Norway.
Marthe and Sara over time
Marthe and Sara appear together in 1 published list, across 68 years of shared records. Sara held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Marthe in 0.
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.
Marthe reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Sara 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 1992, Sara moved ahead of Marthe in Norway · Girls — #18 and #27 the year before became #28 and #27.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Marthe and Sara changed places 7 times in Norway · Girls between 1947 and 2023, ending at #448 and #24.
- Longest-running competitions
Marthe and Sara were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 68 years, from 1947 to 2023, ending at #448 and #24.
List by list
Norway · Girls68 shared years, 1947–2023
Marthe held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Sara in 44.
Highest recorded here: Marthe #18 in 1991, Sara #4 in 2013.
The order changed in 1992: Sara moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #18 and #27; by 1992 that had become #28 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Marthe #448, Sara #24.
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 | Marthe | Sara |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A variant spelling of Sarah, traditionally interpreted as 'lady', 'princess', or 'noblewoman'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈsɛrə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #448 (2023) | Norway · Girls #43 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sara has a recorded origin (Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages); Marthe does not have one recorded yet.
- Marthe and Sara both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Sara; Marthe doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Marthe
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #383 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1946–2023
Highest recorded position: #18 among girls in Norway, in 1991 (recorded 1946–2023).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #448 among girls in Norway, in 2023.
Norway · Girls
Sara
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #385 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1947–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Norway, in 2013 (recorded 1947–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #43 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls