Mary Kate vs Sharon
Mary Kate 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Mary Kate was ranked #628 and Sharon #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Mary Kate and Sharon over time
Mary Kate and Sharon appear together in 1 published list, across 13 years of shared records. Sharon held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Mary Kate 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.
Sharon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Mary Kate 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mary Kate and Sharon changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 2006 and 2020, ending at #628 and #834.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls13 shared years, 2006–2020
Mary Kate held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Sharon in 7.
Highest recorded here: Mary Kate #319 in 2010, Sharon #241 in 2007.
The order changed in 2020: Mary Kate moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #871 and #871; by 2020 that had become #628 and #834.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Mary Kate #628, Sharon #834.
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 Sharon
Pairs where Sharon shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Sharon vs Anna
In 1964 they stood at #39 and #34 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2020 they were #834 and #14.
Sharon · Anna · 55 shared years, 1964–2020 · Started together, ended far apart
- Sarah vs Sharon
In 1964 they stood at #46 and #39 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2020 they were #30 and #834.
Sarah · Sharon · 55 shared years, 1964–2020 · Started together, ended far apart
- Sharon vs Maria
In 1964 they stood at #39 and #33 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2020 they were #834 and #69.
Sharon · Maria · 55 shared years, 1964–2020 · Started together, ended far apart
- Sharon vs Julia
In 1964 they stood at #39 and #42 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2020 they were #834 and #77.
Sharon · Julia · 55 shared years, 1964–2020 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Mary Kate | Sharon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2138 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sharon has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (place name origin)); Mary Kate does not have one recorded yet.
- Mary Kate has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Sharon.
- A meaning is recorded for Sharon; Mary Kate doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in IE.
How each name got here
Mary Kate
Popularity journey
First recorded2006
First recorded at #550 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 2006 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2006–2025
Highest recorded position: #319 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2010 (recorded 2006–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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 recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2138 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls