Saoirse vs Zara
Saoirse 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Saoirse was ranked #17 and Zara #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Saoirse was ranked #196 and Zara #36 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Saoirse was ranked #37 and Zara #64 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Saoirse was ranked #402 and Zara #73 among girls in England and Wales.
Saoirse and Zara over time
Saoirse and Zara appear together in 3 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Zara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Saoirse in 1.
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.
Zara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Saoirse 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Girls, Saoirse moved into the top 50 at #37 in 2024 as Zara fell out of it to #64, having been #32 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Saoirse moved ahead of Zara in Northern Ireland · Girls — #37 and #32 the year before became #37 and #64.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Saoirse and Zara averaged 48.5 places apart, ending at #37 and #64.
- Longest-running competitions
Saoirse and Zara were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #402 and #73.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Saoirse #307 in 2020, Zara #66 in 2019.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1977–2025
Saoirse held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Zara in 9.
Highest recorded here: Saoirse #12 in 2016, Zara #43 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Saoirse #17, Zara #66.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Saoirse held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Zara in 30.
Highest recorded here: Saoirse #307 in 2020, Zara #66 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Saoirse #402, Zara #73.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Saoirse held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Zara in 26.
Highest recorded here: Saoirse #37 in 2023, Zara #32 in 2007.
The order changed in 2024: Saoirse moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #37 and #32; by 2024 that had become #37 and #64.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Saoirse #37, Zara #64.
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 | Zara |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsˠiːɾˠʃə/ | |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #47 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Saoirse has a recorded origin (Irish); Zara does not have one recorded yet.
- Saoirse and Zara both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Saoirse; Zara doesn't have one written yet.
- 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 #402 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