Sarah
Say it: SAIR-a
GirlMeans lady, princess5 letters2 syllables
#66
in Ireland (2025)
78
babies in 2025
#1
best rank (1983)
30,971
babies since 1964
Down 52
10-year rank change
Sarah through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 78 | #66 |
| 2024 | 87 | #60 |
| 2023 | 93 | #62 |
| 2022 | 121 | #47 |
| 2021 | 134 | #44 |
| 2020 | 148 | #31 |
| 2019 | 175 | #32 |
| 2018 | 216 | #21 |
| 2017 | 244 | #19 |
| 2016 | 290 | #16 |
| 2015 | 297 | #14 |
| 2014 | 343 | #12 |
| 2013 | 391 | #10 |
| 2012 | 430 | #10 |
| 2011 | 466 | #6 |
| 2010 | 537 | #5 |
| 2009 | 568 | #4 |
| 2008 | 651 | #3 |
| 2007 | 656 | #1 |
| 2006 | 698 | #1 |
| 2005 | 642 | #2 |
| 2004 | 561 | #3 |
| 2003 | 606 | #2 |
| 2002 | 655 | #1 |
| 2001 | 650 | #1 |
| 2000 | 626 | #2 |
| 1999 | 595 | #3 |
| 1998 | 537 | #3 |
| 1997 | 840 | #1 |
| 1996 | 799 | #1 |
| 1995 | 739 | #1 |
| 1994 | 760 | #1 |
| 1993 | 813 | #1 |
| 1992 | 893 | #1 |
| 1991 | 967 | #1 |
| 1990 | 966 | #1 |
| 1989 | 936 | #1 |
| 1988 | 921 | #1 |
| 1987 | 1,024 | #1 |
| 1986 | 953 | #1 |
| 1985 | 824 | #1 |
| 1984 | 830 | #1 |
| 1983 | 829 | #1 |
| 1982 | 789 | #2 |
| 1981 | 696 | #3 |
| 1980 | 653 | #2 |
| 1979 | 506 | #7 |
| 1978 | 463 | #11 |
| 1977 | 413 | #12 |
| 1976 | 383 | #17 |
| 1975 | 314 | #25 |
| 1974 | 319 | #23 |
| 1973 | 249 | #33 |
| 1972 | 258 | #31 |
| 1971 | 229 | #34 |
| 1970 | 185 | #44 |
| 1969 | 176 | #49 |
| 1968 | 145 | #54 |
| 1967 | 129 | #56 |
| 1966 | 166 | #40 |
| 1965 | 172 | #41 |
| 1964 | 137 | #46 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Sarah mean?
Lady, princess
Hebrew, from the name of Abraham's wife in the Bible, meaning lady or princess.
Say it right
SAIRa
Some people say SAR-a instead.
The story of Sarah
Sarah comes from Hebrew and means “lady” or “princess”. In the Bible she is the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac, and she was first called Sarai. Because she matters to Jewish, Christian and Muslim tradition alike, the name is used across Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.
In Ireland Sarah was also used in English for the Irish name Sorcha, simply because the two sound alike. Sorcha has a different root, a word meaning “bright”.
Sarah was already well used when the CSO records begin, and it became the defining girls’ name of a generation. It was number 1 every year from 1983 to 1997, and it returned to the top spot several times up to 2007. It has eased back since, and it was number 66 in 2025. In Northern Ireland its best place was 5th, in 2002.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Sarah (English proper noun)
- Wiktionary: Sorcha (Irish proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Sarah (given name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
SallySadie
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah | 78 | 30,971 |
In Northern Ireland
#106 in 2025 with 20 babies. Best rank #5 (2002); 3,530 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.