Girl's name
Sarah
Say it SAIR-uh
Roots in Hebrew and Arabic lady, princess
2 syllables
Where Sarah is loved, common and rare
Loved in Israel. Common across the Netherlands, Canada, Austria and five more places. Rare in the UK, Switzerland, Norway and ten more places.
1 in 271 girls born in Ireland in 2025
Israel 4thThe Netherlands 28thOntario 49th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 26 of the 40 official lists, among them Israel (4th), the Netherlands (28th) and Ontario (49th).
Show all 26 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel שרה | 4th 2024 | 1,254 | about 1 in 63 |
| The Netherlands | 28th 2025 | 357 | about 1 in 171 |
| Ontario province | 49th 2024 | 164 | about 1 in 332 |
| Austria | 55th 2025 | 149 | 1 in 240 |
| France | 64th 2025 | 705 | 1 in 407 |
| Quebec province | 65th 2025 | 81 | about 1 in 321 |
| Ireland | 66th 2025 | 78 | 1 in 271 |
| South Australia state | 92nd 2025 | 17 | rank only |
| British Columbia province | 93rd 2023 | 30 | about 1 in 399 |
| Munich city | 97th 2025 | 14 | about 1 in 299 |
| Victoria state | 100th 2025 | 65 | rank only |
| Northern Ireland | 106th 2025 | 20 | 1 in 364 |
| Switzerland | 111th 2025 | 62 | 1 in 548 |
| Norway | 114th 2025 | 50 | 1 in 436 |
| Berlin city | 119th 2023 | 27 | about 1 in 537 |
| England and Wales | 131st 2025 | 371 | 1 in 683 |
| Scotland | 149th 2025 | 29 | 1 in 617 |
| Cologne city | 150th 2023 | 8 | about 1 in 768 |
| Slovenia | 167th 2025 | 8 | about 1 in 826 |
| Italy | 175th 2024 | 129 | 1 in 1,389 |
| Catalonia region | 260th 2025 | 14 | 1 in 1,376 |
| Sweden | 283rd 2025 | 26 | about 1 in 1,545 |
| Poland | 335th 2025 | 12 | 1 in 9,982 |
| Leipzig city | 128th 2025 | 4 | about 1 in 656 |
| Bonn city | 145th 2025 | 4 | about 1 in 754 |
| Rostock city | 166th 2025 | 1 | about 1 in 985 |
Rare, below the listed names: New South Wales, Queensland, New Zealand, Spain and Hungary.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Israel publishes names in Hebrew script. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Sources: Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (Israel); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); SA Attorney-General's Department, Births, Deaths and Marriages (data.sa.gov.au) (South Australia); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Registry of BDM Victoria (DataVic) (Victoria); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Statistični urad Republike Slovenije (SURS), SiStat (Slovenia); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock). How we count, and every source
About the name
In the Bible, Sarah is the wife of Abraham, first called Sarai. The name comes from Biblical Hebrew śārâ, 'lady, princess', and its origins are also given as Arabic.
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Two syllables, SAIR-uh, give it a soft, familiar sound. Sadie and Sally are traditional pet forms, Sara is a simpler spelling, and Zara, Zarah and Saara are related variants.
Sarah is a top-five name in Israel and ranks high in the Netherlands, while in Ontario, Quebec and Ireland it sits further down the list than it once did. The French records place its peak in 1996, and it has since been falling in most of the places where it is tracked, a classic that belongs to the previous generation.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- SAIR-uh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
lady, princess
- Origin
- Hebrew and Arabic
Etymology
From Biblical Hebrew שָׂרָה (śārâ, “lady, princess”), from the Biblical figure originally named Sarai (שָׂרָי (śārāy, literally “masters, princes”)).
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 3 of 24 regions, falling in 15.
Show the yearsShow less
Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 96 | 103 | 103 | 107 | 115 | 125 | 131 | 127 | 130 | 131 |
| Scotland | 68 | 83 | 111 | 113 | 115 | 138 | 186 | 160 | 148 | 149 |
| Northern Ireland | 32 | 32 | 55 | 37 | 60 | 62 | 53 | 79 | 75 | 106 |
| Ireland | 16 | 19 | 21 | 32 | 30 | 43 | 47 | 62 | 61 | 66 |
| Ontario | 31 | 30 | 42 | 49 | 63 | 65 | 50 | 45 | 49 | |
| British Columbia | 37 | 62 | 88 | 63 | 102 | 78 | 71 | 93 | ||
| New South Wales | 54 | 46 | 62 | 65 | 72 | 96 | ||||
| Victoria | 48 | 54 | 46 | 61 | 85 | 100 | ||||
| Queensland | 71 | 91 | 85 | |||||||
| South Australia | 42 | 55 | 91 | 92 | ||||||
| New Zealand | 68 | 94 | 97 | 99 | 80 | |||||
| Quebec | 22 | 25 | 25 | 29 | 42 | 41 | 60 | 48 | 55 | 65 |
| France | 16 | 21 | 27 | 34 | 44 | 46 | 54 | 58 | 65 | 64 |
| The Netherlands | 28 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 22 | 27 | 28 | 44 | 28 | |
| Austria | 17 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 26 | 31 | 35 | 31 | 44 | 55 |
| Switzerland | 55 | 54 | 74 | 72 | 69 | 91 | 112 | 113 | 116 | 111 |
| Berlin | 53 | 64 | 50 | 81 | 61 | 81 | 107 | 119 | ||
| Munich | 35 | 34 | 52 | 40 | 52 | 45 | 61 | 63 | 89 | 97 |
| Cologne | 52 | 71 | 67 | 103 | 134 | 122 | 83 | 150 | ||
| Bonn | 29 | 22 | 23 | 50 | 57 | 82 | 63 | 96 | 66 | 145 |
| Leipzig | 71 | 65 | 50 | 59 | 191 | 89 | 70 | 85 | 75 | 128 |
| Rostock | 105 | 86 | 64 | 199 | 62 | 133 | 122 | 174 | 68 | 166 |
| Norway | 67 | 57 | 70 | 104 | 97 | 110 | 94 | 105 | 129 | 114 |
| Sweden | 195 | 170 | 191 | 292 | 232 | 296 | 249 | 209 | 222 | 283 |
| Catalonia | 172 | 230 | 270 | 197 | 412 | 269 | 244 | 210 | 271 | 260 |
| Italy | 140 | 151 | 157 | 148 | 159 | 173 | 180 | 173 | 175 | |
| Poland | 172 | 195 | 234 | 242 | 259 | 320 | 337 | 346 | 285 | 335 |
| Slovenia | 180 | 177 | 192 | 184 | 167 | |||||
| Israel | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 131 | 371 | 146.5 |
| 2024 | 130 | 375 | 145.4 |
| 2023 | 127 | 392 | 152.8 |
| 2022 | 131 | 384 | 145.7 |
| 2021 | 125 | 403 | 147.1 |
| 2020 | 115 | 422 | 157.2 |
| 2019 | 107 | 479 | 171.0 |
| 2018 | 103 | 503 | 174.5 |
| 2017 | 103 | 530 | 177.2 |
| 2016 | 96 | 572 | 186.2 |
| 2015 | 96 | 581 | 188.7 |
| 2014 | 95 | 601 | 196.0 |
| 2013 | 96 | 574 | 186.1 |
| 2012 | 95 | 592 | 183.8 |
| 2011 | 90 | 663 | 206.3 |
| 2010 | 83 | 722 | 224.9 |
| 2009 | 79 | 793 | 253.0 |
| 2008 | 72 | 930 | 294.5 |
| 2007 | 70 | 900 | 294.0 |
| 2006 | 58 | 976 | 326.2 |
| 2005 | 56 | 962 | 333.7 |
| 2004 | 56 | 1,037 | 362.8 |
| 2003 | 49 | 1,066 | 382.5 |
| 2002 | 39 | 1,161 | 434.2 |
| 2001 | 38 | 1,285 | 479.5 |
| 2000 | 34 | 1,539 | 563.4 |
| 1999 | 31 | 1,733 | 615.2 |
| 1998 | 27 | 2,062 | 713.1 |
| 1997 | 22 | 2,613 | 891.3 |
| 1996 | 18 | 3,111 | 1,051.0 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Sarah in France since 1925 were born in or after 1998. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 1996, at 1,534.3 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Sarah per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 1996 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Sarah
1 in 1,278 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Sarah.
1 in 228 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Sarah.
1 in 240 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Sarah. Ends in -ah, like Sarah.
1 in 221 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Sarah.
1 in 577 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Sarah.
1 in 1,193 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Sarah.
1 in 660 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Sarah.
1 in 132 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Sarah.
1 in 1,921 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Sarah.
1 in 515 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Sarah.
Middle names for Sarah
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Sarah Grace
2-1 beats · initials SG
Changes the beat after Sarah: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Sarah Olivia
2-4 beats · initials SO · Sarah slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Sarah: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Sarah slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Sarah Maria
2-3 beats · initials SM
Changes the beat after Sarah: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Sarah Sophia
2-3 beats · initials SS
Changes the beat after Sarah: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Sarah Rose
2-1 beats · initials SR
Changes the beat after Sarah: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Sarah Emily
2-3 beats · initials SE · Sarah slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Sarah: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Sarah slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Sarah Julia
2-3 beats · initials SJ
Changes the beat after Sarah: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Sarah Miriam
2-3 beats · initials SM
Changes the beat after Sarah: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Sarah
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 660 in Ireland
96% alike: moves with Sarah across countries and decades.
1 in 729 in Northern Ireland
95% alike: moves with Sarah across countries and decades.
1 in 197 in Ireland
95% alike: moves with Sarah across countries and decades.
1 in 95 in Northern Ireland
95% alike: moves with Sarah across countries and decades.
1 in 260 in Northern Ireland
94% alike: moves with Sarah across countries and decades.
1 in 761 in England and Wales
94% alike: moves with Sarah across countries and decades.
1 in 640 in Ireland
94% alike: moves with Sarah across countries and decades.
1 in 577 in Scotland
94% alike: moves with Sarah across countries and decades.
Famous people named Sarah
Sarah Bernhardt, Sarah Palin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sarah Toscano, Sarah Wayne Callies, Sarah Ferguson and Sarah Paulson.
Show all 8Show less
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French stage actress, painter and sculptor (1844–1923)
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Governor of Alaska from 2006 to 2009 born 1964
-
American actress (born 1965)
-
American actress (born 1977)
-
Italian singer-songwriter and actress born 2006
-
American actress and director born 1977
-
British writer, charity patron, public speaker, film producer and television personality, and former Duchess of York born 1959
-
American actress born 1974
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Sarah
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Sarah?
Her best rank is No. 4 in Israel in 2024, about 1 in 63 girls. She is in the published lists of 26 of our 40 regions.
What does Sarah mean?
Wiktionary glosses Sarah as "lady, princess".
How do you pronounce Sarah?
SAIR-uh, with 2 syllables.
Is Sarah getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 3 of 24 regions, falling in 15.
Which sister names go with Sarah?
The deck's top five sisters for Sarah: Elise, Eva, Leah, Jessica and Naomi. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.