Rachel vs Sharon
Rachel 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 1981, Rachel was ranked #10 and Sharon #78 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1982, Rachel was ranked #30 and Sharon #88 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Rachel was ranked #34 and Sharon #366 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Rachel was ranked #115 and Sharon #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2001, Rachel was ranked #339 and Sharon #512 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Rachel was ranked #377 and Sharon #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Rachel was ranked #431 and Sharon #638 among girls in Scotland.
Rachel and Sharon over time
Rachel and Sharon appear together in 5 published lists, across 139 years of shared records. Rachel held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Sharon in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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 3 of those lists, Rachel in 1. 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 1973, Rachel moved ahead of Sharon in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #24 and #10 the year before became #13 and #16.
- Longest-running competitions
Rachel and Sharon were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 55 years, from 1964 to 2020, ending at #115 and #834.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Rachel #27 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls55 shared years, 1964–2020
Rachel held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Sharon in 21.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #6 in 1997, Sharon #5 in 1970.
The order changed in 1985: Rachel moved ahead. In 1984 they stood at #22 and #21; by 1985 that had become #22 and #31.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Rachel #115, Sharon #834.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Rachel held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sharon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #27 in 1996, Sharon #539 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Rachel #377, Sharon #2000.
Norway · Girls23 shared years, 1961–2001
Rachel held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Sharon in 1.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #214 in 1973, Sharon #354 in 1980.
The order changed in 1962: Rachel moved ahead. In 1961 they stood at #501 and #413; by 1962 that had become #515 and #518.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Rachel #339, Sharon #512.
New Zealand · Girls17 shared years, 1965–1981
Rachel held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Sharon in 5.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #3 in 1971, Sharon #8 in 1965.
The order changed in 1970: Rachel moved ahead. In 1969 they stood at #22 and #13; by 1970 that had become #4 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Rachel #10, Sharon #78.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 1968–1982
Rachel held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Sharon in 5.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #12 in 1974, Sharon #4 in 1968.
The order changed in 1973: Rachel moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #24 and #10; by 1973 that had become #13 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 1982: Rachel #30, Sharon #88.
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 | Rachel | Sharon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'ewe' (female sheep), the biblical wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. | 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 | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈreɪtʃəl/ | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #186 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Rachel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel origin, while Sharon is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) origin.
- Rachel and Sharon both have 2 syllables.
- Rachel's recorded meaning differs from Sharon's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Rachel
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #379 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1965–2006
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1965–2006).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #186 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