Girl · English (uncertain) or Arabic
Zara
Say it: ZAR-uh
Meaning
Of uncertain origin: used in English from the 18th century (an English version of Voltaire's Zaïre was titled Zara), and also linked to Arabic Zahra 'radiant, flower'.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
Became popular in Britain in the 1980s after Princess Anne's daughter, and later in the US.
Its wave through time
Rising now
In the United States
- 14,001 babies given this name since 1896
- At its height in 2020, about 1 in 1,200 girls
- 1,327 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Zahra
Famous bearers
- Zara Tindall, British equestrian
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- Well-known works of literature
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.