Sharon vs Wendy
Sharon and Wendycompared 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 1978, Sharon was ranked #45 and Wendy #86 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1981, Sharon was ranked #78 and Wendy #85 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Sharon was ranked #213 and Wendy #351 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 1998, Sharon was ranked #520 and Wendy #589 among girls in Norway.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Sharon was ranked #638 and Wendy #541 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Sharon was ranked #834 and Wendy #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Sharon was ranked #2000 and Wendy #2771 among girls in England and Wales.
Sharon and Wendy over time
Sharon and Wendy appear together in 5 published lists, across 146 years of shared records. Sharon held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Wendy 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.
Wendy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Sharon in 2. 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 1959, Sharon moved ahead of Wendy in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #13 and #10 the year before became #9 and #14.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Sharon and Wendy changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #2000 and #2771.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Sharon and Wendy averaged 25.0 places apart, ending at #45 and #86.
- Longest-running competitions
Sharon and Wendy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 47 years, from 1964 to 2020, ending at #834 and #834.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Sharon #539 in 1996, Wendy #820 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1964–2020
Sharon held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Wendy in 2.
Highest recorded here: Sharon #5 in 1970, Wendy #108 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Sharon #834, Wendy #834.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Sharon held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Wendy in 2.
Highest recorded here: Sharon #539 in 1996, Wendy #820 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sharon #2000, Wendy #2771.
New Zealand · Girls28 shared years, 1954–1981
Sharon held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Wendy in 7.
Highest recorded here: Sharon #5 in 1964, Wendy #8 in 1958.
The order changed in 1961: Sharon moved ahead. In 1960 they stood at #11 and #10; by 1961 that had become #9 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Sharon #78, Wendy #85.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls27 shared years, 1952–1978
Sharon held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Wendy in 7.
Highest recorded here: Sharon #2 in 1965, Wendy #10 in 1958.
The order changed in 1959: Sharon moved ahead. In 1958 they stood at #13 and #10; by 1959 that had become #9 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 1978: Sharon #45, Wendy #86.
Norway · Girls15 shared years, 1961–1998
Sharon held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Wendy in 8.
Highest recorded here: Sharon #354 in 1980, Wendy #319 in 1973.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Sharon #520, Wendy #589.
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 | Wendy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | Popularized by J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, where the character's name was created from the nickname 'fwendy' ('friend') given to Barrie by a young friend. Occasionally appeared before the play and may relate to Welsh names beginning with 'gwen' ('white, blessed'), though the name only became common after Barrie's play. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) | Literary invention (English), with a possible Welsh connection |
| Pronunciation | /ˈʃæɹ.ən/ | /ˈwɛn.di/ |
| 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 | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) | Scotland · Girls #541 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sharon is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) origin, while Wendy is recorded with a Literary invention (English), with a possible Welsh connection origin.
- Sharon and Wendy both have 2 syllables.
- Sharon's recorded meaning differs from Wendy'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
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
Wendy
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #16 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 recorded1954–1981
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1958 (recorded 1954–1981).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2771 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls