Nanna vs Sarah
Nanna 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 2025, Nanna was ranked #484 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.
Nanna and Sarah over time
Nanna and Sarah appear together in 1 published list, across 54 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Nanna 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.
Nanna 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Nanna and Sarah were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 54 years, from 1963 to 2025, ending at #484 and #115.
List by list
Norway · Girls54 shared years, 1963–2025
Nanna held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sarah in 52.
Highest recorded here: Nanna #233 in 1996, Sarah #35 in 2007.
The order changed in 1972: Sarah moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #362 and #460; by 1972 that had become #564 and #254.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Nanna #484, Sarah #115.
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 Sarah
Pairs where Sarah shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Sarah vs Shannon
In 1996 they stood at #18 and #11 in England and Wales · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2025 they were #131 and #2138.
Sarah · Shannon · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Sarah vs Danielle
In 1996 they stood at #18 and #20 in England and Wales · Girls, 2 places apart; by 2025 they were #131 and #1454.
Sarah · Danielle · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Sarah vs Lorraine
In 1964 they stood at #46 and #47 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 1 places apart; by 2018 they were #21 and #896.
Sarah · Lorraine · 50 shared years, 1964–2018 · 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
Side by side
| Field | Nanna | 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 #484 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 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); Nanna does not have one recorded yet.
- Nanna and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Sarah; Nanna doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Nanna
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #307 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: #233 among girls in Norway, in 1996 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #484 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
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 #131 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls