In the INSEE first name statistics, a contrast is striking: a female first name accounted for 7,356 births in 1981 in France, before falling to only 25 little girls in 2025. Star of the 80s and generation marker, this name has almost disappeared from maternity wards, even though it corresponds to the current desire for retro, sweet and very rare first names.
This first name is Sabrina. Long placed in the category of “dated” first names, it is slowly reappearing in the lists of ideas, carried by an image that is familiar to adults but completely new for today’s babies. Short, easy to pronounce and with a sweet sound, it has so many arguments that make it a discreet classic. Her Celtic originfar from the cliché of the Arabic first name, adds a story that many discover.
Sabrina in numbers: from star first name to rare first name
According to INSEE curves, Sabrina reached its peak in 1981 with 7,356 births in France. Then the wave receded year after year, until there were only 25 babies named Sabrina in 2025. This shift illustrates the functioning of a
generational first name : omnipresent for one cohort, almost absent for the next, once the fashion seemed too marked.
For parents in their thirties or forties, Sabrina immediately brings to mind school friends, hits and series from the 80s. For newborn children, on the other hand, this first name is almost new. This shift creates an interesting window: the first name remains known, easy to write, but it becomes very rarely used. Many future parents are looking for this alliance between rarity and familiar landmark.
Celtic origin of Sabrina: from the Severn to Welsh myth
Many French people spontaneously associate Sabrina with an oriental or Arabic first name, undoubtedly because of its -a ending and certain family usages. The most widespread etymology refers to the Latin name “Sabrina” given to the River Severn, between England and Wales, according to Wikipedia. The first name would therefore be linked to a Celtic and Romano-British root, even if specialists remain cautious in the face of divergent versions.
Let us recall the legend compiled by Geoffrey of Monmouth: Sabrina appears there as the daughter of King Locrinus and his mistress Estrildis, drowned in the Severn on the orders of Queen Gwendolen. Later, the English poet John Milton made her a protective nymph of the waters in his text. Comus. Behind this first name hides a rich medieval story, which speaks to fans of tales and Celtic imagination.
Sabrina, a rare but familiar first name for today’s parents
On a daily basis, Sabrina remains very simple to carry: two or three syllables depending on the accents, no difficulty in writing, pronunciation that works in many languages. In France, Sabrina is celebrated on August 29, in conjunction with Sabine of Rome. Between apparent modernity and ancient roots, the first name offers a nice family common ground.
For parents looking for quiet originality, Sabrina could gain ground thanks to this mixture of rarity, sweetness and history.