Sharon vs Sheila
Sharon and Sheilacompared 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 1994, Sharon was ranked #655 and Sheila #544 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Sharon was ranked #629 and Sheila #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Sharon was ranked #2000 and Sheila #4192 among girls in England and Wales.
Sharon and Sheila over time
Sharon and Sheila appear together in 3 published lists, across 91 years of shared records. Sharon held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Sheila in 1.
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.
Sharon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Sheila 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Sharon and Sheila changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1971 and 1994, ending at #655 and #544.
- Longest-running competitions
Sharon and Sheila were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 50 years, from 1964 to 2018, ending at #629 and #896.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #39 and #37 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 2 places apart; by 2018 they were #629 and #896.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1964–2018
Sharon held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Sheila in 2.
Highest recorded here: Sharon #5 in 1970, Sheila #37 in 1964.
The order changed in 2018: Sharon moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #873 and #651; by 2018 that had become #629 and #896.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Sharon #629, Sheila #896.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Sharon held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sheila in 0.
Highest recorded here: Sharon #539 in 1996, Sheila #1502 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sharon #2000, Sheila #4192.
Norway · Girls12 shared years, 1971–1994
Sharon held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sheila in 7.
Highest recorded here: Sharon #354 in 1980, Sheila #359 in 1985.
The order changed in 1989: Sheila moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #642 and #691; by 1989 that had become #588 and #505.
Most recent shared year, 1994: Sharon #655, Sheila #544.
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 | Sharon | Sheila |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From a Hebrew place name — a fertile plain on the central west coast of Israel, also referenced in the biblical 'rose of Sharon' flowering plant. Used as a feminine given name in English since the 1920s. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) | England and Wales · Girls #4192 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sharon has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (place name origin)); Sheila does not have one recorded yet.
- Sharon and Sheila both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Sharon; Sheila doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Sharon
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #47 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1982
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1965 (recorded 1952–1982).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Sheila
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #535 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2022
Highest recorded position: #37 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls