Sara
Every Sara since 1880 — 437,441 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Sara
Sara is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #198 in 2025 with 1,568 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 437,441 American babies have been named Sara. Its peak came in 1981, when 11,391 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1980s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Sara stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Sara year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,568 | #198 | — | — |
| 2024 | 1,612 | #187 | 5 | #13,890 |
| 2023 | 1,602 | #188 | — | — |
| 2022 | 1,680 | #178 | — | — |
| 2021 | 1,519 | #197 | 6 | #11,891 |
| 2020 | 1,577 | #183 | — | — |
| 2019 | 1,746 | #163 | — | — |
| 2018 | 1,718 | #170 | — | — |
| 2017 | 1,887 | #158 | — | — |
| 2016 | 2,041 | #152 | — | — |
| 2015 | 1,982 | #161 | — | — |
| 2014 | 1,972 | #166 | 7 | #10,529 |
| 2013 | 2,093 | #153 | — | — |
| 2012 | 2,261 | #142 | — | — |
| 2011 | 2,396 | #130 | — | — |
| 2010 | 2,636 | #119 | 5 | #13,905 |
| 2009 | 3,044 | #106 | — | — |
| 2008 | 3,595 | #92 | 7 | #10,825 |
| 2007 | 4,024 | #80 | 5 | #14,032 |
| 2006 | 4,411 | #72 | 8 | #9,416 |
| 2005 | 4,285 | #75 | 10 | #7,552 |
| 2004 | 4,507 | #68 | 24 | #3,837 |
| 2003 | 4,764 | #65 | 5 | #12,431 |
| 2002 | 4,945 | #59 | 5 | #12,173 |
| 2001 | 5,156 | #58 | 7 | #9,058 |
| 2000 | 5,325 | #57 | 11 | #6,234 |
| 1995 | 6,697 | #48 | 8 | #6,869 |
| 1990 | 8,979 | #34 | 28 | #2,478 |
| 1985 | 10,562 | #30 | 46 | #1,478 |
| 1980 | 11,148 | #27 | 44 | #1,445 |
| 1975 | 5,131 | #54 | 12 | #3,206 |
| 1970 | 3,060 | #126 | 12 | #2,861 |
| 1965 | 1,973 | #178 | 8 | #3,206 |
| 1960 | 2,037 | #186 | — | — |
| 1955 | 1,973 | #177 | — | — |
| 1950 | 2,059 | #147 | 6 | #3,631 |
| 1945 | 1,803 | #135 | — | — |
| 1940 | 2,087 | #122 | 9 | #2,649 |
| 1935 | 1,773 | #128 | 9 | #2,686 |
| 1930 | 1,770 | #134 | 11 | #2,579 |
| 1925 | 2,032 | #133 | 5 | #4,774 |
| 1920 | 2,364 | #111 | 9 | #3,171 |
| 1915 | 1,913 | #106 | 9 | #2,793 |
| 1910 | 633 | #128 | — | — |
| 1905 | 437 | #137 | — | — |
| 1900 | 375 | #157 | — | — |
| 1895 | 363 | #127 | — | — |
| 1890 | 262 | #137 | — | — |
| 1885 | 215 | #121 | — | — |
| 1880 | 165 | #110 | — | — |
Famous people named Sara
- Sara Montiel Actor · 1928–2013
- Sara Nazarbayeva Politician · b. 1941
- Sara Teasdale Writer · 1884–1933
- Sara Lidman Writer · 1923–2004
- Sara Ramirez Actor · b. 1975
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Sara in 2025?
Sara ranked #198 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,568 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Sara?
437,441 babies have been named Sara in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Sara most popular?
Sara peaked in 1981, when 11,391 newborns received the name.
Is Sara a boy or girl name?
Sara is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Sara rising or falling?
Sara has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Sara?
Well-known people named Sara include Sara Montiel (actor), Sara Nazarbayeva (politician), Sara Teasdale (writer).