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HelpRe: Sarah and Sara
in reply to a message by Perrine
I tend to pronounce both the same, as they are the same name. There are plenty of Hebrew names that can have the H on the end or not, and the pronunciation doesn't change. Kezia and Debora are pronounced no differently (at least they shouldn't be), if spelt Keziah and Deborah, for example.
However for some reason, here in the UK (and I think also in Ireland) Sara has tended to be pronounced SAH-rah, as opposed to SAIR-ah, although I do also know women called Sara here who pronounce it SAIR-ah.
As I said, my instinct is also also go with the SAIR-ah pronunciation, unless corrected.
I love the name, I think it's classically beautiful, and I don't understand the hatred some have towards it. It's no more bland/dull than Emma, which is still hugely popular, so I don't understand why Sarah (this is my preferred spelling) has fallen out of favour, while Emma hasn't. I would pick Sarah over Emma, every single time, although I have nothing against the latter name!
~Charley~
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/184785
It is a Yorkshire habit to say what you think with blunt frankness
~Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden~
However for some reason, here in the UK (and I think also in Ireland) Sara has tended to be pronounced SAH-rah, as opposed to SAIR-ah, although I do also know women called Sara here who pronounce it SAIR-ah.
As I said, my instinct is also also go with the SAIR-ah pronunciation, unless corrected.
I love the name, I think it's classically beautiful, and I don't understand the hatred some have towards it. It's no more bland/dull than Emma, which is still hugely popular, so I don't understand why Sarah (this is my preferred spelling) has fallen out of favour, while Emma hasn't. I would pick Sarah over Emma, every single time, although I have nothing against the latter name!
~Charley~
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/184785
It is a Yorkshire habit to say what you think with blunt frankness
~Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden~
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Replies
Yes it is different here.
Emma, Sarah, and Claire (this specific spelling) were the names of the 70's and 80's here, at least they were in England & Wales. (I haven't seen historical data for Scotland and N. Ireland). Between them, they dominated the top three spots, with Sarah, and then Emma, spending the most time at #1.
Claire dropped out of favour at rapid speed, it was #90 in 1996 (the first year the Office of National Statistics provided in-depth data), but is now #915. Clare is even lower, ranked #2925.
Sarah has slowly dropped out of favour, falling just outside the Top 100 (for the first time ever in England and Wales) in 2017. It was #18 in 1996, and is now #103.
Emma isn't as popular as it once was, but after falling to #60 in 2015, it's now back up at #52. (It was #13 in 1996).
I guess I just find it fascinating, that three names which at one point, could barely be parted at the top, are now seen in such different lights. I suppose the gap between Emma and Sarah isn't huge, but I wonder why one has dropped out, and the other is still holding on.
And Claire's fate is another story entirely. I just don't understand why its popularity has plummeted so quickly. Poor Claire.
Emma, Sarah, and Claire (this specific spelling) were the names of the 70's and 80's here, at least they were in England & Wales. (I haven't seen historical data for Scotland and N. Ireland). Between them, they dominated the top three spots, with Sarah, and then Emma, spending the most time at #1.
Claire dropped out of favour at rapid speed, it was #90 in 1996 (the first year the Office of National Statistics provided in-depth data), but is now #915. Clare is even lower, ranked #2925.
Sarah has slowly dropped out of favour, falling just outside the Top 100 (for the first time ever in England and Wales) in 2017. It was #18 in 1996, and is now #103.
Emma isn't as popular as it once was, but after falling to #60 in 2015, it's now back up at #52. (It was #13 in 1996).
I guess I just find it fascinating, that three names which at one point, could barely be parted at the top, are now seen in such different lights. I suppose the gap between Emma and Sarah isn't huge, but I wonder why one has dropped out, and the other is still holding on.
And Claire's fate is another story entirely. I just don't understand why its popularity has plummeted so quickly. Poor Claire.
This message was edited 12/17/2018, 5:33 AM
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I've been searching my brain for a reason why it has fallen so far, so quickly, and even asking those older than me, who were around when the name was popular. No-one can think of a reason, there's no person with the name who could have tainted it, or anything like that.
I've been looking up a few other names that were 'up there' at the top, close to the 'big three' at the time, and one of them has fallen even further out of favour than Claire. Interesting it's only one letter different to Emma, and that name is Gemma. It was #50 in 1996, and in 2017 was #1568. I just wonder why Emma has remained steadfast, and Gemma has just gone out of fashion.
Yet I think I'm right in saying, Gemma has only recently started to find favour in the U.S?
I've been looking up a few other names that were 'up there' at the top, close to the 'big three' at the time, and one of them has fallen even further out of favour than Claire. Interesting it's only one letter different to Emma, and that name is Gemma. It was #50 in 1996, and in 2017 was #1568. I just wonder why Emma has remained steadfast, and Gemma has just gone out of fashion.
Yet I think I'm right in saying, Gemma has only recently started to find favour in the U.S?
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I would choose Sarah over Emma too
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