Sara

femaleHebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages

A variant spelling of Sarah, traditionally interpreted as 'lady', 'princess', or 'noblewoman'.

Origin: Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages

Official popularity data is available for 7 regions, from 1947 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #4 in Norway in 2013. See regions.

Sara: Recorded since 1947, it reached #4 in 2013, and it was still inside the top 100 in 2025.

7registrars recorded it
225times a registrar ranked it
79years from first to last
#4highest recorded position
44groupings it qualifies for
31names it appears alongside

What stands out in Sara's record

Held a top-100 place for 50 years running. Names by top-100 run
Moved 260 places between two consecutive years — its largest recorded change. Names by largest single-year move
Appears alongside 31 other names across 7 kinds of recorded relationship. All recorded relationships
Shares a published list with another name across 74 years. Longest shared records

SAIR-ə/ˈsɛrə/

Compare Sara Run Name Checker on Sara

Data Confidence

Evidence: ModerateCompleteness: SubstantialEditorial review: 2026-07-21

Confidence in the evidencebehind this name's data — never a rating of the name itself, and never affected by how well it matches your preferences. How this is assessed

Because: backed by officially or academically authoritative sources, recently verified, popularity data covers multiple regions.

Source authority

Averaged from the real per-claim source-authority assessments already computed for this name's meaning/origin/pronunciation/popularity evidence.

Independent corroboration

Averaged from the real per-claim supporting-source counts already computed for this name's evidence.

See full evidence assessment (8 dimensions, 1 not yet tracked)

Source agreement

No recorded source disagreement for this name's meanings or origins.

Recency

Calculated from how long ago this record was last verified (2026-07-21), against a 270-day staleness threshold.

Geographic relevance

Calculated from the number of geographies with official popularity data (7) — broader official coverage means the evidence base is relevant to more of where the name is actually used.

Completeness

Calculated from how many of the expected data sections (variants, similar names, popularity, notable usage, IPA pronunciation) are actually populated for this name.

Direct observation vs. inference

Averaged from the real per-claim direct-observation-vs-inference ratios already computed for this name's evidence.

Identity & variant resolution quality

Cross-source identity and variant resolution requires HEKNO Knowledge, which isn't connected yet.

Name Characteristics

How these are calculated

Descriptive attributes of the name itself — not a confidence measurement, and not an overall quality score. Namewise doesn't approve or disapprove of names.

Pronunciation clarity

Editorial judgement of how consistently this name is pronounced correctly on first read, mapped from an easy/moderate/variable rating to a number. Describes the name — not a measure of evidence confidence.

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling: shorter names with fewer irregular letter clusters score higher. A disclosed formula, not an editorial opinion — and not a confidence measurement.

Recorded regional spread

Derived from how many geographies' official statistics record this name. It measures where the name is registered, not how well-known it feels to people living there.

International spread

Derived from the same official statistical coverage, scaled to reflect how widely the name crosses national datasets. Not a measure of how easily it is understood in another language.

Trend stability

Derived from the name's traditional/modern classification and its current popularity trend direction.

Overview

Origin: Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages
Meaning: A variant spelling of Sarah, traditionally interpreted as 'lady', 'princess', or 'noblewoman'.
Pronunciation: SAIR-ə
Syllables: 2
Common nicknames: None recorded
Classification: Traditional & modern
Gender usage: female
Language family: Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages

Popularity

Region

Rising

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2025

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#113
1997	#130
1998	#130
1999	#129
2000	#127
2001	#123
2002	#114
2003	#135
2004	#148
2005	#120
2006	#109
2007	#104
2008	#102
2009	#99
2010	#103
2011	#109
2012	#99
2013	#100
2014	#96
2015	#87
2016	#90
2017	#82
2018	#98
2019	#88
2020	#102
2021	#100
2022	#99
2023	#107
2024	#97
2025	#110

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

RisingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among girls in Norway in 74 of the 79 years from 1947 to 2025.

In 2025: #43 among girls in Norway, #110 among girls in England and Wales, #127 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

Official data from 7 national registrars across 7 regions, 1947–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1947
First recorded at #385 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #110 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls

Sara appears in 6 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Norway · Girls, which has ranked it in 74 years beginning in 1947, and has registered 11,910 births with the name.

Sara across 6 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Sara's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Norway · Girls	#385 (1947)	#4 (2013)	#43 (2025)	74 of 79	11,910 (1947–2025)	403 (2002)
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#179 (1964)	#78 (2011)	#127 (2025)	62 of 62	3,047 (1964–2025)	91 (2011)
New South Wales, Australia · Girls	#82 (1976)	#51 (1986)	#94 (2007)	14 of 32	1,472 (1976–2007)	158 (1986)
England and Wales · Girls	#113 (1996)	#82 (2017)	#110 (2025)	30 of 30	14,632 (1996–2025)	653 (2017)
Northern Ireland · Girls	#75 (1997)	#73 (2008)	#161 (2024)	28 of 28	447 (1997–2024)	34 (1997)
New Zealand · Girls	#77 (1977)	#44 (1986)	#89 (1992)	16 of 16	1,121 (1977–1992)	105 (1986)

Where the highest position is not the biggest year

Inside a single year a registrar's ranking is its birth counts put in order, so the top of a list is always the name given to the most babies that year. Across years the two separate, because the number of births and the number of names sharing them both change.

In Norway · Girls the name reached its highest position, #4, in 2013, when 322 births were registered with it. More were registered in 2002 — 403 — in a year it ranked #8.

Sara by decade in Norway · Girls

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Sara in Norway · Girls, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1940s	12	2 of 10	6
1950s	38	6 of 10	6
1960s	128	10 of 10	13
1970s	418	10 of 10	42
1980s	1,282	10 of 10	128
1990s	2,687	10 of 10	269
2000sbusiest	3,621	10 of 10	362
2010s	2,649	10 of 10	265
2020s	1,075	6 of 10	179

Across Norway · Girls, the 2000s were its busiest decade, averaging 362 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 2012 and 2013, when recorded births rose by 83, from 239 to 322.

See the names Norwayhas recorded the most births with →

Sara appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

What the record shows

Recorded by 7 registrars between 1947 and 2025, ranked in 74 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #4, first reached in 2013.

It held a top-100 place in 50 years, 50 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 653 births, registered in England and Wales in 2017.

1 registrar ranked it inside their own top 10.

Its record falls into 2 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 5 years.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1964, and 77 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Sara was ranked #4 in Norway · Girls in 2013. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Sapphire-Rose · #2458, 15y
Saqib · #481, 27y
Sarah · #1, 68y
Sarah-Jane · #172, 26y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 7 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Fiona · #4, 71y
Jacob · #4, 79y
Adam · #3, 73y
Adrian · #3, 73y

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1940 and 1949.

Anita · #4, 81y
Ann · #4, 81y
Elin · #4, 81y
Henry · #4, 81y

Comparisons involving Sara

Existing comparison pages where Sara and another name were ranked in the same published list, in the same years, on the same scale. Each has its own evidence; none of them says the names are alike.

Longest shared records

Names ranked alongside Sara in the same published list across at least 25 years.

Charlie vs Sara
In 1996 they stood at #113 and #113 in England and Wales · Girls, 0 places apart; by 2025 they were #747 and #110.
Charlie · Sara · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 England and Wales ranking
Sara vs Eva
Over 74 shared years in Norway · Girls, Sara rose about as far as Eva fell — from #385 and #9 in 1947 to #43 and #22 in 2025.
Sara · Eva · 74 shared years, 1947–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Heidi vs Sara
Over 74 shared years in Norway · Girls, Sara rose about as far as Heidi fell — from #201 and #385 in 1947 to #437 and #43 in 2025.
Heidi · Sara · 74 shared years, 1947–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking

Order changes

Pairs where Sara and another name exchanged position in a published list, taken as the final meaningful change.

Emilie vs Sara
In 2014, Emilie moved ahead of Sara in Norway · Girls — #6 and #4 the year before became #3 and #13.
Emilie · Sara · 49 shared years, 1958–2025 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 2014 Norway ranking
Maria vs Sara
In 2013, Sara moved ahead of Maria in Norway · Girls — #16 and #19 the year before became #17 and #4.
Maria · Sara · 74 shared years, 1947–2025 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 2013 Norway ranking
Hilde vs Sara
In Norway · Girls, Sara moved into the top 50 at #36 in 1990 as Hilde fell out of it to #60, having been #32 the year before.
Hilde · Sara · 68 shared years, 1947–2025 · One took the other's place near the top
See the 1990 Norway ranking

Compared inside Norway lists

Pairs involving Sara measured in Norway's own published lists — the registrar that recorded Sara at its highest position.

Sara vs Kristin
Over 74 shared years in Norway · Girls, Sara rose about as far as Kristin fell — from #385 and #116 in 1947 to #43 and #251 in 2025.
Sara · Kristin · 74 shared years, 1947–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Sara vs Kristine
Over 74 shared years in Norway · Girls, Sara rose about as far as Kristine fell — from #385 and #152 in 1947 to #43 and #244 in 2025.
Sara · Kristine · 74 shared years, 1947–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Nina vs Sara
Over 74 shared years in Norway · Girls, Sara rose about as far as Nina fell — from #127 and #385 in 1947 to #195 and #43 in 2025.
Nina · Sara · 74 shared years, 1947–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking

Norway overview→

Sara and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,577 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Sara without appearing here.

Sara moved ahead of

Patricia
In 1966 they stood at #283 and #264 in Norway · Girls; by 1967 that had become #214 and #573.
Elsie
In 1957 they stood at #358 and #341 in Norway · Girls; by 1958 that had become #287 and #455.
Janet
In 1969 they stood at #347 and #341 in Norway · Girls; by 1970 that had become #213 and #378.
Teresa
In 1963 they stood at #439 and #379 in Norway · Girls; by 1964 that had become #205 and #352.

Moved ahead of Sara

Eleanor
In 2022 they stood at #183 and #218 in Northern Ireland · Girls; by 2023 that had become #328 and #193.
Olivia
In 1999 they stood at #75 and #87 in New South Wales, Australia · Girls; by 2000 that had become #98 and #5.
Ruby
In 2004 they stood at #128 and #155 in Northern Ireland · Girls; by 2005 that had become #138 and #51.
Molly
In 1997 they stood at #75 and #89 in Northern Ireland · Girls; by 1998 that had become #121 and #47.

Moved the opposite way to Sara

Anita
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sara went from #385 to #43 while Anita went from #136 to #459.
Anne
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sara went from #385 to #43 while Anne went from #1 to #159.
Åse
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sara went from #385 to #43 while Åse went from #23 to #93.
Aud
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sara went from #385 to #43 while Aud went from #13 to #427.

Moved the same way as Sara

Ada
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sara went from #385 to #43 and Ada from #182 to #18.
Anna
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sara went from #385 to #43 and Anna from #46 to #23.
Elise
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sara went from #385 to #43 and Elise from #245 to #63.
Ella
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sara went from #385 to #43 and Ella from #178 to #4.

Meaning & Origin

A variant spelling of Sarah, traditionally interpreted as 'lady', 'princess', or 'noblewoman'.

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Hebrew, widely used across Arabic and other languages

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Other names with a researched meaning and origin →

Where Sara is officially recorded

7 official registrars have recorded Sara, between 1947 and 2025, in 74 of those 79 years. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

Registrar	Recorded	Years	Its own highest position
Norway	1947–2025	74	#4 in 2013
Republic of Ireland	1964–2025	62	#78 in 2011
New South Wales, Australia	1976–2007	14	#51 in 1986
New Zealand	1977–1992	16	#44 in 1986
England and Wales	1996–2025	30	#82 in 2017
Northern Ireland	1997–2024	28	#73 in 2008
Scotland	2024	1	#164 in 2024

Its high point came 38 years earlier in New South Wales, Australia (1986) than in Scotland (2024).

No registrar recorded it for 5 years after 1948; it appears again in 1954.

Variants

No spelling variants or nicknames recorded yet.

Similar Names

No similar names recorded yet for this name.

Similarity is a demonstration score — see methodology.

Spelling

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling — see Name Characteristics above.

No commonly used alternate spellings recorded.

Pronunciation

SAIR-ə/ˈsɛrə/

Syllables: 2
Ease: easy

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Where Sara Is Recorded

National statistical agencies have recorded Sara in these places. This shows where the name is used — not where it comes from, and not that it carries particular cultural significance there.

New South Wales, AustraliaEngland and WalesNorthern IrelandScotlandRepublic of IrelandNorwayNew Zealand

Notable Usage

No safely-sourced notable usage recorded for this name yet.

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

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Sara

Sara at a glance

What stands out in Sara's record

Overview

Popularity

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Sara across 6 official records

Where the highest position is not the biggest year

Sara by decade in Norway · Girls

Sara appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Sara

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Comparisons involving Sara

Longest shared records

Order changes

Compared inside Norway lists

Sara and the names beside it

Sara moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Sara

Moved the opposite way to Sara

Moved the same way as Sara

Meaning & Origin

Where Sara is officially recorded

Variants

Similar Names

Spelling

Pronunciation

Where Sara Is Recorded

Notable Usage

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

Sara at a glance

What stands out in Sara's record

Sara across 6 official records

Where the highest position is not the biggest year

Sara by decade in Norway · Girls

Sara appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Sara

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Comparisons involving Sara

Longest shared records

Order changes

Compared inside Norway lists

Sara and the names beside it

Sara moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Sara

Moved the opposite way to Sara

Moved the same way as Sara