Philippa vs Sharon
Philippa 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1980, Philippa was ranked #79 and Sharon #69 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Philippa was ranked #377 and Sharon #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2008, Philippa was ranked #439 and Sharon #439 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Philippa was ranked #444 and Sharon #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Philippa was ranked #541 and Sharon #638 among girls in Scotland.
Philippa and Sharon over time
Philippa and Sharon appear together in 3 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. Sharon held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Philippa in 1.
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 2 of those lists, and Philippa 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
Philippa and Sharon changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1968 and 2020, ending at #444 and #834.
- Longest-running competitions
Philippa and Sharon were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 40 years, from 1968 to 2020, ending at #444 and #834.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Philippa #150 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls40 shared years, 1968–2020
Philippa held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Sharon in 36.
Highest recorded here: Philippa #298 in 1983, Sharon #7 in 1969.
The order changed in 2019: Philippa moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #734 and #629; by 2019 that had become #457 and #871.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Philippa #444, Sharon #834.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Philippa held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sharon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Philippa #150 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Philippa #377, Sharon #2000.
New Zealand · Girls17 shared years, 1956–1980
Philippa held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sharon in 17.
Highest recorded here: Philippa #69 in 1978, Sharon #9 in 1961.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1980: Philippa #79, Sharon #69.
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 | Philippa | 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 | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sharon has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (place name origin)); Philippa does not have one recorded yet.
- Philippa has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sharon.
- A meaning is recorded for Sharon; Philippa doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Philippa
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #86 among girls in New Zealand in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1956–1986
Highest recorded position: #69 among girls in New Zealand, in 1978 (recorded 1956–1986).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #544 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 recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls