Rachel vs Zara
Rachel and Zaracompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Rachel was ranked #142 and Zara #32 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2007, Rachel was ranked #71 and Zara #33 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Rachel was ranked #431 and Zara #36 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2006, Rachel was ranked #98 and Zara #42 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Rachel was ranked #186 and Zara #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Rachel was ranked #394 and Zara #73 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2024, Rachel was ranked #472 and Zara #352 among girls in Norway.
Rachel and Zara over time
Rachel and Zara appear together in 4 published lists, across 132 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Rachel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Zara 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Girls, Zara moved into the top 50 at #35 in 2012 as Rachel fell out of it to #64, having been #49 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2006, Zara moved ahead of Rachel in England and Wales · Girls — #79 and #85 the year before became #84 and #80.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Rachel and Zara averaged 50.9 places apart, ending at #142 and #32.
- Longest-running competitions
Rachel and Zara were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #394 and #73.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls49 shared years, 1975–2025
Rachel held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Zara in 10.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #6 in 1997, Zara #43 in 2019.
The order changed in 2016: Zara moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #43 and #69; by 2016 that had become #74 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Rachel #186, Zara #66.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Rachel held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Zara in 20.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #27 in 1996, Zara #66 in 2019.
The order changed in 2006: Zara moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #79 and #85; by 2006 that had become #84 and #80.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Rachel #394, Zara #73.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2023
Rachel held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Zara in 12.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #7 in 2003, Zara #32 in 2007.
The order changed in 2012: Zara moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #49 and #51; by 2012 that had become #64 and #35.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Rachel #142, Zara #32.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1969–2024
Rachel held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Zara in 14.
Highest recorded here: Rachel #275 in 1996, Zara #260 in 2019.
The order changed in 2015: Zara moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #369 and #558; by 2015 that had become #469 and #275.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Rachel #472, Zara #352.
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 | Zara |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'ewe' (female sheep), the biblical wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈreɪtʃəl/ | |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #47 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Rachel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhakhel); Zara does not have one recorded yet.
- Rachel and Zara both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Rachel; Zara doesn't have one written yet.
- 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 #394 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Zara
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #559 among girls in Norway in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2001–2025
Highest recorded position: #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2016 (recorded 2001–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #73 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls