Sarah vs Tonje
Sarah and Tonjecompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2021, Sarah was ranked #111 and Tonje #455 among girls in Norway.
Sarah and Tonje over time
Sarah and Tonje appear together in 1 published list, across 60 years of shared records. Tonje held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Sarah 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.
Tonje reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Sarah 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2000, Sarah moved ahead of Tonje in Norway · Girls — #76 and #50 the year before became #53 and #57.
- Mirrored each other
Over 60 shared years in Norway · Girls, Sarah rose about as far as Tonje fell — from #490 and #290 in 1960 to #111 and #455 in 2021.
- Longest-running competitions
Sarah and Tonje were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 60 years, from 1960 to 2021, ending at #111 and #455.
List by list
Norway · Girls60 shared years, 1960–2021
Sarah held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Tonje in 39.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #35 in 2007, Tonje #15 in 1994.
The order changed in 2000: Sarah moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #76 and #50; by 2000 that had become #53 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Sarah #111, Tonje #455.
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 | Tonje |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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 | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #66 (2025) | Norway · Girls #455 (2021) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sarah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Tonje does not have one recorded yet.
- Sarah and Tonje both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Sarah; Tonje doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
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
Tonje
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #397 among girls in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1949–2021
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in Norway, in 1994 (recorded 1949–2021).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #455 among girls in Norway, in 2021.
Norway · Girls