Saoirse vs Sarah
Saoirse 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Saoirse was ranked #17 and Sarah #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Saoirse was ranked #37 and Sarah #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Saoirse was ranked #443 and Sarah #130 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Saoirse was ranked #196 and Sarah #148 among girls in Scotland.
Saoirse and Sarah over time
Saoirse and Sarah appear together in 3 published lists, across 109 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Saoirse in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Sarah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Saoirse 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, Saoirse moved into the top 50 at #47 in 2020 as Sarah fell out of it to #60, having been #37 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2020, Saoirse moved ahead of Sarah in Northern Ireland · Girls — #41 and #37 the year before became #47 and #60.
- Mirrored each other
Over 52 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Saoirse rose about as far as Sarah fell — from #417 and #34 in 1971 to #17 and #66 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Saoirse and Sarah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 52 years, from 1971 to 2025, ending at #17 and #66.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls52 shared years, 1971–2025
Saoirse held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Sarah in 42.
Highest recorded here: Saoirse #12 in 2016, Sarah #1 in 1983.
The order changed in 2016: Saoirse moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #18 and #14; by 2016 that had become #12 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Saoirse #17, Sarah #66.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Saoirse held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sarah in 29.
Highest recorded here: Saoirse #307 in 2020, Sarah #18 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Saoirse #443, Sarah #130.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Saoirse held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Sarah in 22.
Highest recorded here: Saoirse #37 in 2023, Sarah #5 in 2002.
The order changed in 2020: Saoirse moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #41 and #37; by 2020 that had become #47 and #60.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Saoirse #37, 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 | Saoirse | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Means 'freedom' in Irish; first adopted as a given name in the 20th century, reportedly with nationalist/political resonance given the meaning. | 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 | Irish | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsˠiːɾˠʃə/ | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ |
| 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 #17 (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
- Saoirse is recorded with a Irish origin, while Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Saoirse and Sarah both have 2 syllables.
- Saoirse's recorded meaning differs from Sarah'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
Saoirse
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #417 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1971–2025
Highest recorded position: #12 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1971–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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 #115 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls