Roisin vs Sharon
Roisin 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Roisin was ranked #172 and Sharon #366 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Roisin was ranked #336 and Sharon #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Roisin was ranked #541 and Sharon #638 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Roisin was ranked #934 and Sharon #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Roisin and Sharon over time
Roisin and Sharon appear together in 2 published lists, across 83 years of shared records. Roisin held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Sharon 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.
Sharon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Roisin 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 Republic of Ireland · Girls, Roisin moved into the top 50 at #32 in 1989 as Sharon fell out of it to #52, having been #39 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1989, Roisin moved ahead of Sharon in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #51 and #39 the year before became #32 and #52.
- Longest-running competitions
Roisin and Sharon were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1964 to 2020, ending at #336 and #834.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Roisin #247 in 1997, Sharon #539 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1964–2020
Roisin held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sharon in 25.
Highest recorded here: Roisin #17 in 1999, Sharon #5 in 1970.
The order changed in 1989: Roisin moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #51 and #39; by 1989 that had become #32 and #52.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Roisin #336, Sharon #834.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Roisin held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sharon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Roisin #247 in 1997, Sharon #539 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Roisin #934, Sharon #2000.
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 | Roisin | Sharon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A diminutive form commonly interpreted as 'little rose', from Irish rós ('rose', ultimately of Latin origin) plus a diminutive suffix. | 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 | Irish | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ɾˠoːˈʃiːnʲ/ | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | 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) | 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
- Roisin is recorded with a Irish origin, while Sharon is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) origin.
- Roisin and Sharon both have 2 syllables.
- Roisin's recorded meaning differs from Sharon's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Roisin
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #154 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · 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