Sarah

femaleBiblical Hebrew

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.

Origin: Biblical Hebrew

Official popularity data is available for 7 regions, from 1958 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #1 in Republic of Ireland in 2007. See regions.

Sarah: Recorded every year since 1958, it reached #1 in 1974, and it was still inside the top 100 in 2025.

7registrars recorded it
305times a registrar ranked it
68years from first to last
#1highest recorded position
49groupings it qualifies for
99names it appears alongside

What stands out in Sarah's record

Ranked inside the top 10 by 4 registrars, and #1 in 2 of them. Names by top-10 reach
Ranked every year since 1958, without a single year missing. Names by continuity of record
Held a top-100 place for 68 years running. Names by top-100 run
England and Wales registered 3,111 births with the name in 1996, its largest count from any one registrar. Names by yearly birth count

SAIR-uh/ˈsɛɹ.ə/

Compare Sarah Run Name Checker on Sarah

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: Biblical Hebrew
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.
Pronunciation: SAIR-uh
Syllables: 2
Common nicknames: None recorded
Classification: Traditional & modern
Gender usage: female
Language family: Biblical Hebrew

Popularity

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2025

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#18
1997	#22
1998	#27
1999	#31
2000	#34
2001	#38
2002	#39
2003	#49
2004	#56
2005	#56
2006	#58
2007	#70
2008	#72
2009	#79
2010	#83
2011	#90
2012	#95
2013	#96
2014	#95
2015	#96
2016	#96
2017	#103
2018	#103
2019	#107
2020	#115
2021	#125
2022	#131
2023	#127
2024	#130
2025	#131

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

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among girls in Norway in 65 of the 66 years from 1960 to 2025.

In 2025: #66 among girls in Republic of Ireland, #115 among girls in Norway, #131 among girls in England and Wales.

Official data from 7 national registrars across 7 regions, 1958–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

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
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #131 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls

Sarah appears in 6 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Norway · Girls, with 65 ranked years and 4,511 births registered; the earliest is New Zealand · Girls, from 1958.

Sarah 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.

Sarah'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	#490 (1960)	#35 (2007)	#115 (2025)	65 of 66	4,511 (1960–2025)	175 (2007)
New Zealand · Girls	#86 (1958)	#1 (1974)	#100 (2019)	62 of 62	19,984 (1958–2019)	791 (1986)
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#46 (1964)	#1 (1983)	#66 (2025)	62 of 62	30,971 (1964–2025)	1,024 (1987)
New South Wales, Australia · Girls	#85 (1965)	#2 (1981)	#96 (2021)	57 of 57	28,346 (1965–2021)	1,205 (1986)
England and Wales · Girls	#18 (1996)	#18 (1996)	#131 (2025)	30 of 30	28,326 (1996–2025)	3,111 (1996)
Northern Ireland · Girls	#7 (1997)	#5 (2002)	#75 (2024)	28 of 28	3,510 (1997–2024)	240 (1997)

Sarah 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 Sarah in Norway · Girls, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	59	9 of 10	7
1970s	181	10 of 10	18
1980s	601	10 of 10	60
1990s	863	10 of 10	86
2000sbusiest	1,431	10 of 10	143
2010s	1,072	10 of 10	107
2020s	304	6 of 10	51

Across Norway · Girls, the 2000s were its busiest decade, averaging 143 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 2002 and 2003, when recorded births fell by 42, from 161 to 119.

See the names Norwayhas recorded the most births with →

Sarah 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 1958 and 2025, ranked in 68 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #1, first reached in 1974.

It held a top-100 place in 68 years, 68 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 3,111 births, registered in England and Wales in 1996.

4 registrars ranked it inside their own top 10. It reached #1 in 2 registrars' lists.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1960, and 66 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.

Sarah was ranked #1 in New Zealand · Girls in 1974. 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.

Saqib · #481, 27y
Sara · #4, 74y
Sarah-Jane · #172, 26y
Sarah-Jayne · #301, 17y

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.

Charlotte · #1, 73y
Grace · #1, 69y
Matthew · #1, 69y
Oliver · #1, 63y

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1950 and 1959.

Emilie · #1, 49y
Matthew · #1, 69y
Michelle · #1, 74y
Oliver · #1, 63y

Comparisons involving Sarah

Existing comparison pages where Sarah 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 Sarah in the same published list across at least 25 years.

Sarah vs Shannon
In 1996 they stood at #18 and #11 in England and Wales · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2025 they were #131 and #2138.
Sarah · Shannon · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 England and Wales ranking
Sarah vs Danielle
In 1996 they stood at #18 and #20 in England and Wales · Girls, 2 places apart; by 2025 they were #131 and #1454.
Sarah · Danielle · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 England and Wales ranking
Sarah vs Lorraine
In 1964 they stood at #46 and #47 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 1 places apart; by 2018 they were #21 and #896.
Sarah · Lorraine · 50 shared years, 1964–2018 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2018 Republic of Ireland ranking

Closest long-running positions

Names that stayed close to Sarah within one registrar's list over many years. A gap measured inside that list, never across registrars.

Sarah vs Zoe
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Sarah and Zoe averaged 10.0 places apart, ending at #131 and #104.
Sarah · Zoe · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Closest over the longest run
See the 2025 England and Wales ranking
Sarah vs Niamh
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Sarah and Niamh averaged 11.3 places apart, ending at #75 and #47.
Sarah · Niamh · 28 shared years, 1997–2024 · Closest over the longest run
See the 2024 Northern Ireland ranking
Sarah vs Leah
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Sarah and Leah averaged 11.4 places apart, ending at #75 and #119.
Sarah · Leah · 28 shared years, 1997–2024 · Closest over the longest run
See the 2024 Northern Ireland ranking

Order changes

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

Sarah vs Angela
In 1974, Sarah moved ahead of Angela in New Zealand · Girls — #6 and #5 the year before became #1 and #6.
Sarah · Angela · 36 shared years, 1958–1998 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1974 New Zealand ranking
Sarah vs Jessica
In 1990, Jessica moved ahead of Sarah in New Zealand · Girls — #1 and #2 the year before became #2 and #1.
Sarah · Jessica · 43 shared years, 1977–2019 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1990 New Zealand ranking
Sarah vs Mary
In 1983, Sarah moved ahead of Mary in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #2 and #1 the year before became #1 and #2.
Sarah · Mary · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1983 Republic of Ireland ranking

Compared inside Republic of Ireland lists

Pairs involving Sarah measured in Republic of Ireland's own published lists — the registrar that recorded Sarah at its highest position.

Sarah vs Sharon
In 1964 they stood at #46 and #39 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2020 they were #30 and #834.
Sarah · Sharon · 55 shared years, 1964–2020 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2020 Republic of Ireland ranking
Sarah vs Barbara
In 1964 they stood at #46 and #43 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2023 they were #62 and #856.
Sarah · Barbara · 56 shared years, 1964–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2023 Republic of Ireland ranking
Sarah vs Carol
In 1964 they stood at #46 and #36 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2010 they were #5 and #663.
Sarah · Carol · 45 shared years, 1964–2010 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2010 Republic of Ireland ranking

Republic of Ireland overview→

Sarah 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 Sarah without appearing here.

Sarah moved ahead of

Martina
In 1969 they stood at #524 and #520 in Norway · Girls; by 1970 that had become #265 and #610.
Renee
In 1971 they stood at #460 and #365 in Norway · Girls; by 1972 that had become #254 and #406.
Josephine
In 1965 they stood at #520 and #418 in Norway · Girls; by 1966 that had become #341 and #478.
Aud
In 1979 they stood at #206 and #204 in Norway · Girls; by 1980 that had become #174 and #308.

Moved ahead of Sarah

Amalie
In 1992 they stood at #96 and #118 in Norway · Girls; by 1993 that had become #110 and #63.
Ada Compare
In 2017 they stood at #103 and #114 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2018 that had become #103 and #65.
Maddison Compare
In 2012 they stood at #42 and #49 in New Zealand · Girls; by 2013 that had become #75 and #37.
Vilde
In 1990 they stood at #101 and #116 in Norway · Girls; by 1991 that had become #99 and #62.

Moved the opposite way to Sarah

Anita
Between 1960 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sarah went from #490 to #115 while Anita went from #11 to #459.
Åse
Between 1960 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sarah went from #490 to #115 while Åse went from #39 to #93.
Aud
Between 1960 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sarah went from #490 to #115 while Aud went from #41 to #427.
Bjørg
Between 1960 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sarah went from #490 to #115 while Bjørg went from #35 to #369.

Moved the same way as Sarah

Astrid
Between 1960 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sarah went from #490 to #115 and Astrid from #31 to #9.
Ella Compare
Between 1960 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sarah went from #490 to #115 and Ella from #237 to #4.
Ellinor
Between 1960 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sarah went from #490 to #115 and Ellinor from #136 to #7.
Hanna
Between 1960 and 2025 in Norway · Girls, Sarah went from #490 to #115 and Hanna from #248 to #53.

Meaning & Origin

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Biblical Hebrew

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Other names with a researched meaning and origin →

Where Sarah is officially recorded

7 official registrars have recorded Sarah, between 1958 and 2025. 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
New Zealand	1958–2019	62	#1 in 1974
Norway	1960–2025	65	#35 in 2007
Republic of Ireland	1964–2025	62	#1 in 1983
New South Wales, Australia	1965–2021	57	#2 in 1981
England and Wales	1996–2025	30	#18 in 1996
Northern Ireland	1997–2024	28	#5 in 2002
Scotland	2024	1	#148 in 2024

Its high point came 50 years earlier in New Zealand (1974) than in Scotland (2024).

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-uh/ˈsɛɹ.ə/

Syllables: 2
Ease: easy

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Where Sarah Is Recorded

National statistical agencies have recorded Sarah 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

Preview with a surname

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Sarah

Sarah at a glance

What stands out in Sarah's record

Overview

Popularity

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Sarah across 6 official records

Sarah by decade in Norway · Girls

Sarah appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Sarah

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Comparisons involving Sarah

Longest shared records

Closest long-running positions

Order changes

Compared inside Republic of Ireland lists

Sarah and the names beside it

Sarah moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Sarah

Moved the opposite way to Sarah

Moved the same way as Sarah

Meaning & Origin

Where Sarah is officially recorded

Variants

Similar Names

Spelling

Pronunciation

Where Sarah Is Recorded

Notable Usage

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

Sarah at a glance

What stands out in Sarah's record

Sarah across 6 official records

Sarah by decade in Norway · Girls

Sarah appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Sarah

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Comparisons involving Sarah

Longest shared records

Closest long-running positions

Order changes

Compared inside Republic of Ireland lists

Sarah and the names beside it

Sarah moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Sarah

Moved the opposite way to Sarah

Moved the same way as Sarah