Rebecca vs Sarah
Rebecca 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2008, Rebecca was ranked #94 and Sarah #19 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2011, Rebecca was ranked #85 and Sarah #42 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Rebecca was ranked #141 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Rebecca was ranked #337 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Rebecca was ranked #485 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Rebecca was ranked #413 and Sarah #131 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Rebecca was ranked #431 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
Rebecca and Sarah over time
Rebecca and Sarah appear together in 6 published lists, across 268 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Rebecca in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Rebecca reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Sarah in 2. 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 2012, Sarah moved ahead of Rebecca in England and Wales · Girls — #88 and #90 the year before became #108 and #95.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Rebecca and Sarah changed places 7 times in Norway · Girls between 1965 and 2025, ending at #485 and #115.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Rebecca and Sarah averaged 57.6 places apart, ending at #413 and #131.
- Longest-running competitions
Rebecca and Sarah were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #413 and #131.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Rebecca #8 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #8 and #18 in England and Wales · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2025 they were #413 and #131.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Rebecca held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 62.
Highest recorded here: Rebecca #7 in 1995, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Rebecca #141, Sarah #66.
Norway · Girls59 shared years, 1965–2025
Rebecca held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sarah in 48.
Highest recorded here: Rebecca #55 in 1996, Sarah #35 in 2007.
The order changed in 1999: Sarah moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #69 and #91; by 1999 that had become #78 and #76.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Rebecca #485, Sarah #115.
New Zealand · Girls46 shared years, 1966–2011
Rebecca held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 46.
Highest recorded here: Rebecca #2 in 1977, Sarah #1 in 1974.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Rebecca #85, Sarah #42.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls43 shared years, 1966–2008
Rebecca held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sarah in 27.
Highest recorded here: Rebecca #1 in 1976, Sarah #2 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Rebecca #94, Sarah #19.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Rebecca held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sarah in 14.
Highest recorded here: Rebecca #8 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order changed in 2012: Sarah moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #88 and #90; by 2012 that had become #108 and #95.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Rebecca #413, Sarah #131.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Rebecca held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Sarah in 24.
Highest recorded here: Rebecca #2 in 1999, Sarah #5 in 2002.
The order changed in 2001: Sarah moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #5 and #9; by 2001 that had become #8 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Rebecca #337, Sarah #75.
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 | Rebecca | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with concepts of 'joining', 'tying', or a 'team/yoke' — a binding or connecting sense, from a Semitic root about fastening things together. | 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 | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhebekka | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /rəˈbɛkə/ | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 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 #141 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Rebecca is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Rhebekka origin, while Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Rebecca has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sarah.
- Rebecca's recorded meaning differs from Sarah'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
Rebecca
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #440 among girls in Norway in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2008
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1976 (recorded 1966–2008).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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