Marthe vs Sarah
Marthe 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 2023, Marthe was ranked #448 and Sarah #110 among girls in Norway.
Marthe and Sarah over time
Marthe and Sarah appear together in 1 published list, across 61 years of shared records. Marthe held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Sarah 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 Sarah 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 2002, Sarah moved ahead of Marthe in Norway · Girls — #39 and #49 the year before became #49 and #42.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Marthe and Sarah changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1960 and 2023, ending at #448 and #110.
- Mirrored each other
Over 61 shared years in Norway · Girls, Sarah rose about as far as Marthe fell — from #270 and #490 in 1960 to #448 and #110 in 2023.
- Longest-running competitions
Marthe and Sarah were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 61 years, from 1960 to 2023, ending at #448 and #110.
List by list
Norway · Girls61 shared years, 1960–2023
Marthe held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Sarah in 25.
Highest recorded here: Marthe #18 in 1991, Sarah #35 in 2007.
The order changed in 2002: Sarah moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #39 and #49; by 2002 that had become #49 and #42.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Marthe #448, Sarah #110.
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 | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sarah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Marthe does not have one recorded yet.
- Marthe and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Sarah; 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
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