Sarah vs Zoe
Sarah and Zoecompared 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 Zoe #16 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Sarah was ranked #100 and Zoe #16 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Sarah was ranked #66 and Zoe #46 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Sarah was ranked #75 and Zoe #105 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Sarah was ranked #148 and Zoe #76 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Sarah was ranked #131 and Zoe #104 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Sarah was ranked #115 and Zoe #313 among girls in Norway.
Sarah and Zoe over time
Sarah and Zoe appear together in 6 published lists, across 216 years of shared records. Sarah held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Zoe in 0.
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 4 of those lists, and Zoe 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 2018, Zoe moved ahead of Sarah in England and Wales · Girls — #103 and #105 the year before became #103 and #96.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Sarah and Zoe changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #131 and #104.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Sarah and Zoe averaged 10.0 places apart, ending at #131 and #104.
- Longest-running competitions
Sarah and Zoe were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #131 and #104.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Sarah #18 in 1996, Zoe #31 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls57 shared years, 1968–2025
Sarah held the stronger position in 52 of those years, Zoe in 5.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #1 in 1983, Zoe #26 in 2016.
The order changed in 2021: Zoe moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #30 and #44; by 2021 that had become #43 and #42.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Sarah #66, Zoe #46.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls40 shared years, 1981–2021
Sarah held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Zoe in 14.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #2 in 1981, Zoe #8 in 2015.
The order changed in 2008: Zoe moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #16 and #17; by 2008 that had become #19 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Sarah #96, Zoe #16.
New Zealand · Girls32 shared years, 1988–2019
Sarah held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Zoe in 14.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #1 in 1988, Zoe #11 in 2010.
The order changed in 2006: Zoe moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #23 and #26; by 2006 that had become #24 and #19.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Sarah #100, Zoe #16.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Sarah held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Zoe in 11.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #18 in 1996, Zoe #31 in 1996.
The order changed in 2018: Zoe moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #103 and #105; by 2018 that had become #103 and #96.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Sarah #131, Zoe #104.
Norway · Girls29 shared years, 1987–2025
Sarah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Zoe in 0.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #35 in 2007, Zoe #211 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Sarah #115, Zoe #313.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Sarah held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Zoe in 2.
Highest recorded here: Sarah #5 in 2002, Zoe #32 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sarah #75, Zoe #105.
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 | Zoe |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Means 'life' in Greek. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Ancient Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɛɹ.ə/ | /ˈzoʊi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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 #19 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| 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 Zoe is recorded with a Ancient Greek origin.
- Sarah has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Zoe.
- Sarah's recorded meaning differs from Zoe'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
Zoe
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #401 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1981–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2015 (recorded 1981–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #104 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls