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Original poster

What's more classic and timeless, Emily or Sarah?

100 replies

hcarter8 · 31/10/2023 15:42

Me and my husband are struggling to decide on a name, even though some may say it’s a boring bland name I like the name Sarah, I just think it’s a good old no nonsense name that is relatively timeless.

My husband likes Emily but I’m not sure even though I do think its pretty and I don't know if people like it as much these days but i vividly remember it being so popular 20 years ago i remember so many people naming their daughters Emily in the 00s it was crazy to me how popular it became in such a short amount of time.

I looked at the statistics out if curiosity on the ons website and even though sarah was quite a popular name here in the UK in the 70s/80s I’ve never actually met one which is quite odd, I prefer Sarah because it has never left the top 100 names from 1904 to 2017 and it's only just left in the last few years which would make it a genuinely timeless name. Whereas Emily actually left the top 100 in 1914 and was unheard of for a good 50 odd years until 1973 when it re entered the top 100 and slowly rose, eventually hit the number 2 spot in in the 90s and was number 1 in 2003 and 2004, so I’d expect most Emily’s these days to be in the age range of 15-30 years old.

I was given a very popular 80s name that has dated badly because of its once mega popularity at a certain time so I’m making a point not to do the same to my daughter but me and my husband are struggling to compromise.

Thoughts? What seems more dated?

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43ontherocksporfavor · 31/10/2023 20:24

Emily

pilates · 31/10/2023 20:33

Emily
Sadie is nice too

Sarah is a bit 70’s for me

MaloneMeadow · 31/10/2023 20:35

Sarah is horrendous - so dreary, overly common and dated.

LambMomo · 31/10/2023 20:38

Love Sarah, more unusual these days. Emily is still quite popular. Especially as it’s always paired with the obligatory Rose/May/Grace. Dull.

Cotswoldmama · 31/10/2023 20:40

I prefer Sarah I think it's timeless. I'm not so keen on Emily. I've always loved the name Anna and think that's timeless too.

Cattenberg · 31/10/2023 20:49

I think they’re both beautiful names. But I’m gobsmacked that a PP has never met a Sarah. I was born in the early 80s and I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say I’ve met hundreds of Sarahs. Many had Jane or Louise as a middle name.

My only issue with Emily is that the recent trend for vowelly names went a bit far, so a single primary school class could have Lily, Emily, Emilia, Amelia, Olivia, Emma, Ella, Isabella and Aria. And yes, the teachers are starting to slip up with names.

princefamilypaper · 31/10/2023 21:57

I don't know any young Sarah's- when I say young I'm thinking of my daughters age- 2 and under. I know about 7 little Emily's!

theduchessofspork · 31/10/2023 22:04

Sarah - it’s coming back a bit I think, but it’s a biblical name that’s been used for centuries.

I’d agree Emily is broadly a classic - but Emma, Emily, Emilia and now Emmeline, not to mention the very similar Amelia and Amelie - have been collectively so overused, they are really tired and need a rest. If you were intent on it Emma is probably the most classic and timeless of them all.

RogueFemale · 31/10/2023 22:19

If you're after a timeless classic girl name, then Jane would be perfect.

OopsieeDaisy · 31/10/2023 22:32

I was born in the 90s and went to school with a few of each. I love Emily, it’s pretty and classic. Sarah is a name I’ve always disliked (no particular reason, possibly because I’ve never met one I liked very much!) and seems more boring to me.

Crispynoodle · 31/10/2023 22:32

I have a Sarah she's 26 and I still love her name it's not very common amongst her peers but it is a classic

Aydel · 31/10/2023 22:34

Sarah is a classic name. I have a quite irrational hatred of the name Emily though. It was everywhere about 20 years ago.

starlightcan · 31/10/2023 22:35

Emily

CanIPetThatDawg · 31/10/2023 22:38

Emily to me is the ultimate in bland and drippy.

Sarah is fine. I'm amazed at someone never having met one though. I know a one year old Sarah, a seven year old Sarah and God only knows how many Sarahs between the ages of 25-45.

uncomfortablydumb53 · 31/10/2023 22:50

I like Sarah, it's my middle name( I'm 58)
Emily is lovely, but Sarah is unusual these days

Celibacyinthesticks · 31/10/2023 23:09

I would pick Sarah, Emily like a pp said blends in with all the Millie, Tilly, Lily, Amalie type names, Sarah sounds elegant to me and not so twee and girly.

GasDrivenNun · 31/10/2023 23:20

Snoeberry · 31/10/2023 16:06

Sarah is a very popular name for my age group. Born late 60s, there were lots at school and only one Emily. Back then Emily seemed a very unusual old fashioned name.

Now the reverse is true.

^^ this

Auntpodder · 01/11/2023 10:19

I'm a Sarah - didn't like it as a child because I was one of many but now really like the ease of it, that it's a strong simple name that doesn't end in an 'e'. I'll often make a joke about how common it is among my contemporaries but I find most Sarahs like their name.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 01/11/2023 22:47

Both very classic. Both reasonably timeless - they are no Elizabeth (the only technically timeless girls name) but Sarah and Emily, along with names like Maria, Alice, Emma, Charlotte etc probably feel as close to timeless as you are gonna get.

It's difficult as I think the sound of Sarah is prettier, so that would be my pick of the two. But she'll just have to put up with the fact that likely some of her teachers or at least her some of her friends Mum's will probably share her name (about a quarter of the women I meet around my age seem to be called Sarah! - I only know a few Emily's of varying ages ).

Ittastesvile · 01/11/2023 23:07

I LOVE Sarah and it was on my list. I don't know any baby Sarahs.

Not so keen on Emily, I don't really like names with a "mil" sound, like Emily, Amelia, Emmeline, Emilia etc plus I know loads. But it's a perfectly classic name.

MidnightMeltdown · 01/11/2023 23:33

I wouldn't choose either but I prefer Sarah. Emily is too common. There were lots of Emilys in the 80s and 90s.

Sarah is the older of the two names. It's a Hebrew name (I think most of the 'ah' ending names are (e.g. Anna, Leah, Noah, Deborah, Hannah, Sarah etc)

Emily has Latin origins like Amelia

MidnightMeltdown · 01/11/2023 23:37

MidnightMeltdown · 01/11/2023 23:33

I wouldn't choose either but I prefer Sarah. Emily is too common. There were lots of Emilys in the 80s and 90s.

Sarah is the older of the two names. It's a Hebrew name (I think most of the 'ah' ending names are (e.g. Anna, Leah, Noah, Deborah, Hannah, Sarah etc)

Emily has Latin origins like Amelia

I think that all of theses 'ah' ending names are bible names - so all will older (more classic?) than Emily

Blinkityblonk · 01/11/2023 23:48

I was thinking about Leah as well, that's a pretty and more unusual classic name.

Sugarfree23 · 01/11/2023 23:50

Blinkityblonk · 31/10/2023 15:53

Sarah is a biblical name, surely that's pretty timeless!

That's what I was thinking

LittleStrayMouser · 02/11/2023 09:32

Emily is, interestingly, possibly the older name (in its earlier forms). It goes back to the Aemilii Roman gens, whose name was supposedly derived from the son of Numa Pompilius, an early king of Rome (c. 753-672 BC).

Though of course all dates that far back are very dubious

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aemilia

And yes, Sarah is a boring name to have. Trust me, I know! . 😁

Aemilia - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aemilia