| Elizabeth | Sarah | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is my oath | Princess |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ih-LIZ-uh-beth | SAIR-uh |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1990 (20,750) | 1982 (28,483) |
| In 2025 | 6,760 | 2,710 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Elizabeth | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 41,893 | 16,944 |
| 2010s | 94,103 | 46,657 |
| 2000s | 133,568 | 124,545 |
| 1990s | 172,693 | 224,423 |
| 1980s | 198,972 | 272,637 |
| 1970s | 142,845 | 118,823 |
| 1960s | 168,920 | 43,913 |
| 1950s | 165,656 | 39,966 |
| 1940s | 116,551 | 39,977 |
| 1930s | 96,480 | 36,513 |
| 1920s | 139,672 | 46,769 |
| 1910s | 116,811 | 38,120 |
| 1900s | 41,708 | 17,342 |
| 1890s | 33,879 | 17,154 |
| 1880s | 25,006 | 14,715 |
Elizabeth is from the Hebrew Elisheva, “God is my oath.” It has been borne by saints and queens across a thousand years.
Sarah is Hebrew for “princess” or “noblewoman.” In the Bible she is the wife of Abraham and a matriarch of Israel, renamed by God from Sarai.
Elizabeth is more popular than Sarah today: about 6,760 US babies were given the name Elizabeth in 2025, compared with 2,710 named Sarah.
Elizabeth means God is my oath (Hebrew origin), while Sarah means Princess (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Elizabeth first appears in 1880 and Sarah in 1880, so Elizabeth has the longer recorded history.