Sara
Girl name · #198 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Sara? In official American birth records, Sara has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Sara is currently the #198 girl name in the United States — 1,568 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #161, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,148 girls born in 2025 was named Sara.
Babies named Sara per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Sara first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 165 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1981, when 11,359 girls were named Sara — good for #26 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 Sara against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sara in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Sara is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Sara is most common
Geography matters for names, and Sara is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Sara is most common in NJ (5.4 per 1,000), NY (3 per 1,000), MD (1.5 per 1,000), IL (1.4 per 1,000), WA (1.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Sara is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Sara
Statistically, parents drawn to Sara tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Andrea, Sarah, Nina, Joanna, and Alicia.
AndreaSarahNinaJoannaAliciaRebeccaRachelLara
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sara | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,568 | #198 |
| 2024 | 1,612 | #187 |
| 2023 | 1,602 | #188 |
| 2022 | 1,680 | #178 |
| 2021 | 1,519 | #197 |
| 2020 | 1,577 | #182 |
| 2019 | 1,746 | #163 |
| 2018 | 1,718 | #169 |
| 2017 | 1,887 | #158 |
| 2016 | 2,041 | #151 |
| 2015 | 1,982 | #161 |
| 2014 | 1,972 | #165 |
| 2013 | 2,093 | #153 |
| 2012 | 2,261 | #142 |
| 2011 | 2,396 | #130 |
| 2010 | 2,636 | #119 |
| 2009 | 3,044 | #106 |
| 2008 | 3,595 | #92 |
| 2007 | 4,024 | #80 |
| 2006 | 4,411 | #72 |
| 2005 | 4,285 | #75 |
| 2004 | 4,507 | #68 |
| 2003 | 4,764 | #65 |
| 2002 | 4,945 | #59 |
| 2001 | 5,156 | #58 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Sara?
In official American birth records, the name Sara first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 165 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Sara a popular girl name?
Sara ranked #198 among girls in 2025 with 1,568 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #161.
When was the name Sara most popular?
Sara peaked in 1981, when 11,359 American girls received the name (ranked #26 that year). Since 1981 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Sara?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,148 newborn American girls was named Sara. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.