Sarah
Girl name · #90 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Sarah? In official American birth records, Sarah has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 2,710 baby girls were named Sarah, placing it at #90 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #57, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 664 girls born in 2025 was named Sarah.
Babies named Sarah per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Sarah first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 1,288 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1982, when 28,483 girls were named Sarah — good for #4 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sarah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sarah in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Sarah is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Sarah is most common
Geography matters for names, and Sarah is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Sarah is most common in NY (5 per 1,000), NJ (4.9 per 1,000), MD (2.8 per 1,000), FL (2.7 per 1,000), CT (2.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 2.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Sarah is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Sarah
Statistically, parents drawn to Sarah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sara, Rachel, Samantha, Allison, and Maria.
SaraRachelSamanthaAllisonMariaAshleyAndreaMolly
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sarah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,710 | #90 |
| 2024 | 2,719 | #93 |
| 2023 | 2,771 | #91 |
| 2022 | 2,809 | #95 |
| 2021 | 2,865 | #91 |
| 2020 | 3,070 | #86 |
| 2019 | 3,325 | #81 |
| 2018 | 3,781 | #66 |
| 2017 | 4,036 | #62 |
| 2016 | 4,429 | #57 |
| 2015 | 4,535 | #57 |
| 2014 | 4,717 | #50 |
| 2013 | 4,715 | #48 |
| 2012 | 5,207 | #42 |
| 2011 | 5,571 | #39 |
| 2010 | 6,341 | #26 |
| 2009 | 7,794 | #21 |
| 2008 | 9,055 | #20 |
| 2007 | 10,014 | #18 |
| 2006 | 11,161 | #15 |
| 2005 | 11,555 | #15 |
| 2004 | 12,758 | #12 |
| 2003 | 13,785 | #11 |
| 2002 | 14,779 | #8 |
| 2001 | 15,929 | #6 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Sarah?
In official American birth records, the name Sarah first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 1,288 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Sarah a popular girl name?
Sarah ranked #90 among girls in 2025 with 2,710 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #57.
When was the name Sarah most popular?
Sarah peaked in 1982, when 28,483 American girls received the name (ranked #4 that year). Since 1982 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Sarah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 664 newborn American girls was named Sarah. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.