Noah vs Sham

Noah and Shamcompared 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.

England and Wales · Boys
In 2018, Noah was ranked #4 and Sham #3959 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Noah was ranked #1743 and Sham #3015 among girls in England and Wales.

Noah and Sham over time

Noah and Sham appear together in 1 published list, across 11 years of shared records. Sham held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Noah 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.

Sham reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Noah 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.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls11 shared years, 2013–2024
Noah held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Sham in 7.
Highest recorded here: Noah #1743 in 2024, Sham #1782 in 2019.
The order changed in 2024: Noah moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #3218 and #2201; by 2024 that had become #1743 and #3015.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Noah #1743, Sham #3015.

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 Noah

Pairs where Noah shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Noah vs Hayden
Over 52 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Noah rose about as far as Hayden fell — from #225 and #124 in 1996 to #2 and #279 in 2024.
Noah · Hayden · 29 shared years, 1996–2024 · Mirrored each other
See the 2024 England and Wales ranking
Noah vs Patrick
Over 52 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Noah rose about as far as Patrick fell — from #225 and #66 in 1996 to #2 and #120 in 2024.
Noah · Patrick · 29 shared years, 1996–2024 · Mirrored each other
See the 2024 England and Wales ranking
Noah vs Theo
Noah and Theo both rose over the same years in 5 registrars — England and Wales · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Northern Ireland · Boys; Norway · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Noah · Theo · 33 shared years, 1990–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Noah vs Max
Noah and Max both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; Northern Ireland · Boys; Norway · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Noah · Max · 33 shared years, 1990–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Noah, Sham
Field	Noah	Sham
Record type	Editorially researched profile	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	male	female
Meaning	Commonly interpreted as 'rest' or 'comfort'.	Not yet recorded
Origin	Hebrew	Not yet recorded
Pronunciation	/ˈnoʊə/	Not yet recorded
Syllables	1	1
Common variants / nicknames	Noa, Noé	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ	GB-ENW
Most recent popularity observation	New South Wales, Australia · Boys #1 (2025)	England and Wales · Girls #3015 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	40/100
Data Confidence	high	medium

What the data shows

Noah has a recorded origin (Hebrew); Sham does not have one recorded yet.
Noah and Sham both have 1 syllable.
A meaning is recorded for Noah; Sham doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
The available evidence gives Noah a "high" Data Confidence level and Sham a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

How each name got here

Noah

Popularity journey

First recorded1990
First recorded at #640 among boys in Norway in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys

Sham

Popularity journey

First recorded1996
First recorded at #2863 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2010–2024
Highest recorded position: #1782 among girls in England and Wales, in 2019 (recorded 2010–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3015 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls