girl's name
Sarah
SAIR-uh (English)
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 1,410,394
the United States
#90
2025 births
Sarah is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "princess" or "noblewoman." In Genesis she is Abraham's wife, renamed from Sarai to Sarah when God promises she will bear a son in old age — one of the Bible's explicit renamings.
- Sarah is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1982, when 28,608 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,223 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Sarah Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 14,746 |
| 1890s | 17,219 |
| 1900s | 17,385 |
| 1910s | 38,244 |
| 1920s | 46,994 |
| 1930s | 36,749 |
| 1940s | 40,127 |
| 1950s | 40,086 |
| 1960s | 44,062 |
| 1970s | 119,261 |
| 1980s | 273,757 |
| 1990s | 224,781 |
| 2000s | 124,771 |
| 2010s | 46,703 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 16,953 |
What Sarah Means
Sarah means princess or noblewoman, from a Hebrew root concerning rule or nobility. The name is a title rather than a description, marking rank, and Genesis treats the change from Sarai to Sarah as significant enough to record.
Where Sarah Comes From
Sarah comes from the Hebrew Sarah, from a root sar concerning princes and rulers. Genesis records that both Abram and Sarai were renamed at the moment of the covenant — Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah — and the change is presented as marking their new status as ancestors of nations. She is honored in Judaism, Christianity and Islam alike. The name passed unchanged through Greek and Latin into European use and became widespread in England after the Reformation. Its pet forms Sadie and Sally both detached and became independent names, Sally by the same r-to-l shift that turned Mary into Molly.
Sarah in Use
Sally comes from Sarah by the same sound shift that turned Mary into Molly.
How Popular Is Sarah?
In 2025, Sarah was given to 2,710 babies in the United States, ranking #90 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Sarah Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Sarah
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Sarah Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Sarah over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Sarah
- English SAIR-uh /ˈsɛərə/
2 nicknames for Sarah
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Sarah in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Sarah
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Sarah — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Sarah
What does the name Sarah mean?
Sarah means "princess" or "noblewoman," from the Hebrew.
Why was Sarah renamed in the Bible?
Genesis records both Abram and Sarai being renamed at the covenant, to Abraham and Sarah.
Is Sally short for Sarah?
Yes, by the same r-to-l shift that produced Molly from Mary.
How popular is the name Sarah?
In 2025, Sarah was given to 2,710 babies in the United States, ranking #90 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Sarah a girl's or a boy's name?
Sarah is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Sarah?
Sarah has 2 syllables.
When was Sarah most popular?
Sarah peaked in 1982, when 28,608 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Sarah?
Sarah is usually shortened to Sadie and Sally.
Is Sarah a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Sarah currently ranks #56 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.