Which is more timeless, Sarah or Emily?

[hcarter8]

I like nonsense names that are easy to spell and pronounce but I am struggling to find a truly timeless name.

my partner likes Emily, I know Emily was very popular 20 years ago so could have the possibility of sounding dated on a baby today even though it’s only number 28 on the ONS and even though Sarah was very popular in the 70s it feels more classic to me for some reason. On the ONS Sarah had never fallen out of the top 100 until 2021 but Emily did for about 60 years and then became popular in the 90s and 2000s.

thoughts?

Adore Emily, think it's just gorgeous. Sarah makes me think of someone currently 30-50.

But it's also a lovely, straightforward name!

Both are timeless classics.

You can obviously have your own reasons for preferring one over the other, but I don't think trying to argue that one classic name is more classic than another classic is enough to win the argument here. Classic is classic!

If you can't decide between the two, maybe neither is the right timeless classic for you?

Have you considered Emma, Charlotte, Anna, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Catherine, Victoria, Alice?

Emily. I don't know any Emily's, big or small!

Having walked round an old cemetery recently I would say Emily is literally the more timeless. So many Emily's a hundred years ago that it stood out!

I personally don't like Sarah as the pronunciation can change depending on the regional accent, Emily is always said the same.

Sarah was in the top hundred longer that Emily in England and Wales (1904-2016) whereas Emily dropped out of the top hundred between 1934-1964 (not clear where between 1924-1934 and 1964-1974 it dropped out because we only have ten yearly data) so statistically Sarah would be most timeless. Emily is more popular at the moment so probably why it sounds fresher, though both are declining.

Elizabeth is the only name which has never dropped out of the top hundred for girls, so is probably the most timeless girls name.

Agree. Emily is timeless.

Either name! They are both classic (historically Sarah is probably more “timeless” as it’s a Biblical name and has been used since the medieval period; but Emily is also a beautiful classic name and has gone in and out of fashion since the 18th century). Just pick which one seems right to you.

Historically speaking, Sarah is more timeless. But I think even though most timeless names can have a blip, and Sarah does sound a bit dated now, simply because it was quite popular thirty/forty years ago. So perhaps Emily sounds more timeless now. I know one little Emily and no little Sarahs.

It depends - how timeless is timeless? As far as I know, Emily has been popular on and off for about 200 years, and consistently for about 50 years. Sarah has been in use for at least 500 years although it has been more or less popular at times. I personally slightly prefer Sarah (it was the name we would have used for a DD if we'd had one), and I think it would be refreshing to hear of a baby one as it's not quite so common nowadays, but I do really like Emily as well. For what it's worth, Emily Sarah would be a nice combination!

Sarah has been used as a name for longer, but Emily has still been in use for a few hundred years, so both are really timeless. Both have had peaks and troughs of popularity and always will. That wouldn’t put me off using either - both are beautiful and classic.
I’ve always loved Sarah personally so that would be my choice.
Are you also looking for other suggestions?
Lucy, Alice, Catherine, Jane, Eleanor, Susannah, Elizabeth, Hannah, Amy, Rose, Anne, Isobel, Margaret, Ellen, Mary.

I like nonsense names... Jimberleigh?

Emily is the most timeless to me.
To me people called Sarah were all born in the 1980s and 1990s, although I know realistically it’s a very old name.

I like both Emily was my Great Grandmothers name( I’m 60) and Sarah was my Grandmother( and my middle name)
Alice was “my” girls name but I only had sons
you could use both. One as middle

I really like Sarah, I feel like a know a lot of Emily’s.

Sarah is beautiful - I don't know of any little Sarah's at the moment so it's quite unusual, but well known.

Sarah is more timeless, but I don’t reallly like it. Emily is a much nicer name and easily timeless enough.

I think Emma is more timeless than Emily.

I've just done my family tree and through one grandparent have got back to 1483!!

In among the Elizabeths, Anns, Marys, there is a Sarah. Other one offs: Caroline, Jane and Naomi. At least four generations at a time are very confusing because in the 1800s they were all Robert and Elizabeth and going back a Century, Christopher and Mary or Ann.

Emily is wet sounding.
Sarah is a beautiful classic name.

Sarah is a beautiful name, I'm surprised it's never used anymore

I think Emma is more timeless than Emily. Me too.

Emily seems a bit wet to me, but there are so many of them.
I know even more Sarahs, but fewer young ones.
Of the two, I prefer Sarah.

I think you should choose whichever you think is best. Perhaps considering surname, a middle name, or any ancestors with the name.

Possibly the first baby names thread where to me it is not an easy choice, and none seem unpopular or twee in any way.

Sarah is lovely.

Both are nice but I think Emily is a little dull.
Sarah isn’t as popular.

Both are timeless classics. I know lots of young Emily’s at the moment and an only few adult Emily’s, and a million adult Sarah’s but no little Sarah’s, so Sarah seems more dated to me. However, I think Sarah would sound so fresh and different on a little one now, so I think I’d pick that.