Samantha vs Sarah
Samantha 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 2013, Samantha was ranked #84 and Sarah #36 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Samantha was ranked #446 and Sarah #62 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Samantha was ranked #885 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2015, Samantha was ranked #85 and Sarah #86 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Samantha was ranked #525 and Sarah #115 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Samantha was ranked #778 and Sarah #131 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Samantha was ranked #541 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
Samantha and Sarah over time
Samantha and Sarah appear together in 6 published lists, across 241 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Samantha in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Sarah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Samantha 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Samantha and Sarah changed places 7 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1978 and 2015, ending at #85 and #86.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 48 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Samantha and Sarah averaged 16.0 places apart, ending at #84 and #36.
- Longest-running competitions
Samantha and Sarah were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #778 and #131.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Samantha #32 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Samantha held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 60.
Highest recorded here: Samantha #33 in 1986, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Samantha #885, Sarah #66.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls48 shared years, 1966–2013
Samantha held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Sarah in 41.
Highest recorded here: Samantha #3 in 1992, Sarah #2 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Samantha #84, Sarah #36.
Norway · Girls43 shared years, 1969–2025
Samantha held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 43.
Highest recorded here: Samantha #298 in 2015, Sarah #35 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Samantha #525, Sarah #115.
New Zealand · Girls37 shared years, 1978–2015
Samantha held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Sarah in 24.
Highest recorded here: Samantha #3 in 1989, Sarah #1 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Samantha #85, Sarah #86.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Samantha held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 30.
Highest recorded here: Samantha #32 in 1996, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Samantha #778, Sarah #131.
Northern Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 1997–2021
Samantha held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 23.
Highest recorded here: Samantha #57 in 2000, Sarah #5 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Samantha #446, Sarah #62.
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 | Samantha | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Likely a feminine adaptation of Samuel, incorporating a suffix possibly derived from Greek 'anthos' ('flower'). Emerged in 18th-century America; boosted to wide popularity by the 1964 television series Bewitched. | 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 | Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /sə.ˈmæn.θə/ | /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 | Norway · Girls #525 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Samantha is recorded with a Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) origin, while Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Samantha has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Sarah.
- Samantha'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
Samantha
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #79 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2013
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1992 (recorded 1966–2013).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #778 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