Sarah vs Sienna
Sarah and Siennacompared 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 2021, Sarah was ranked #96 and Sienna #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Sarah was ranked #131 and Sienna #15 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Sarah was ranked #75 and Sienna #30 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Sarah was ranked #100 and Sienna #35 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Sarah was ranked #148 and Sienna #41 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Sarah was ranked #66 and Sienna #62 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Sarah was ranked #115 and Sienna #136 among girls in Norway.
Sarah and Sienna over time
Sarah and Sienna appear together in 6 published lists, across 129 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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 6 of those lists, and Sienna 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, Sienna moved into the top 50 at #32 in 2020 as Sarah fell out of it to #60, having been #37 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2007, Sienna moved ahead of Sarah in England and Wales · Girls — #58 and #69 the year before became #70 and #63.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Sarah and Sienna averaged 53.8 places apart, ending at #75 and #30.
- Longest-running competitions
Sarah and Sienna were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #131 and #15.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Sarah held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sienna in 19.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #18 in 1996, Sienna #12 in 2022.
The order changed in 2007: Sienna moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #58 and #69; by 2007 that had become #70 and #63.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Sarah #131, Sienna #15.
Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 2002–2025
Sarah held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Sienna in 4.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #1 in 2002, Sienna #44 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Sarah #66, Sienna #62.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2004–2024
Sarah held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sienna in 5.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #6 in 2004, Sienna #30 in 2024.
The order changed in 2020: Sienna moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #37 and #76; by 2020 that had become #60 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sarah #75, Sienna #30.
Norway · Girls21 shared years, 2005–2025
Sarah held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Sienna in 1.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #35 in 2007, Sienna #123 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Sarah #115, Sienna #136.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls19 shared years, 2003–2021
Sarah held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Sienna in 16.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #6 in 2003, Sienna #7 in 2009.
The order changed in 2006: Sienna moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #12 and #14; by 2006 that had become #16 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Sarah #96, Sienna #11.
New Zealand · Girls15 shared years, 2005–2019
Sarah held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sienna in 13.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #23 in 2005, Sienna #23 in 2009.
The order changed in 2007: Sienna moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #24 and #40; by 2007 that had become #33 and #29.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Sarah #100, Sienna #35.
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 | Sarah | Sienna |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| 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. | From the English word for the orange-red colour, ultimately from the Italian city of Siena, known for its distinctive reddish clay. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | English (colour/place name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ | /si.ˈɛn.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 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 #66 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #10 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sarah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Sienna is recorded with a English (colour/place name) origin.
- Sarah and Sienna both have 2 syllables.
- Sarah's recorded meaning differs from Sienna'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
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
Sienna
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #974 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2003–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 2003–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls