Zara Meaning, Origin, History, And Popularity

Illustration: MomJunction Design Team

Origin, Meaning, And History Of Zara

The name Zara first appeared in Hebrew, meaning “Princess.” It is considered a variation of the biblical name Sarah, wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. The term has evolved through time to fit a variety of cultures, including Arabic, and has gained popularity among parents in Arabic-speaking nations.

In Arabic, the word ‘zahra’ means ‘flower’ or ‘beauty’ while the word ‘zuhra’ means ‘brilliance.’ History-wise, the name Zara has been prevalent in Arabic culture for many years and is still a top pick among parents today. Zara has been used as a name for girls in many different cultures, including Spanish, Italian, and Scandinavian. In recent years, the name has become increasingly popular and has been used for both boys and girls. Zara may also be an abbreviation for the Bulgarian name Zaharina, the feminine version of the Hebrew name Zachariah.

There are many variations of the name including Zarah, Zahra, Zaria, and Sara.

Zara is frequently portrayed as a powerful and attractive woman in Arabic literature, and the name is linked to grace, elegance, and monarchy. Greta Garbo played Zara in the 1932 movie As You Desire Me. Zara is an intriguing name frequently used in old films and books for a seductive figure from the East. In 1981, British Princess Anne violated royal protocol by giving her daughter Zara an Arabic name, instantly elevating the name’s social stature. William Congreve used Zara for the first time as the name of an African queen in his 1697 drama The Mourning Bride.

History-wise, Amancio Ortega started the Spanish clothes and accessory company Zara in 1975. One of the biggest fashion stores in the world, the business began as a modest clothes shop in Galicia, Spain. Because of its fast fashion philosophy, Zara is renowned for swiftly adapting to shifting fashion trends and providing clients with the newest fashions at competitive costs.

Zara

Meaning Princess

Gender Girl

Religion Christianity, Islam

Origin Arabic, Hebrew

Lucky Number 1

Syllables Two

Length 1 word, 4 letters, 2 vowels, 2 consonants

Type Short and easy to pronounce

How To Pronounce Zara?

Pronounced as zah-ruh

The way you pronounce a name can make all the difference.

Listen to the sound of the name Zara in Arabic.

Listen to the sound of the name Zara in English.

Famous People With The Name Zara

Zara CullyAmerican Actress, best known for her role as Olivia ‘Mother Jefferson’ Jefferson on the sitcom The Jeffersons
Zara DawsonEnglish actress and television presenter
Zara LarsonSinger, winner of four Grammis, four MTV European Music Awards
Zara TindallBritish equestrian
Zara WrightAfrican-American author, known for her novel Black and White Tangled Threads

Zara On The Popularity Chart

The name was relatively unpopular through the 80s and 90s, picking up pace only after the 2000s. Let’s have a look at the graphical representations to know how this name has evolved over time.

Popularity Over Time

In 1980, Zara was given to only 31 babies per million and only crossed the 100 mark in 1999. The name’s popularity spiked from 2004 onward reaching 1399 babies per million in 2021.

Source: Social Security Administration

Rank Over Time

Fluctuating in popularity in the 80s and 90s, the name has steadily grown in popularity from 2004 onwards. From the low 3000s, Zara has climbed the popularity charts to reach 213 in 2021.

Source: Social Security Administration

Zara On MomJunction Popularity Chart

Know how popular the name Zara is among the MomJunction readers. We used a unique approach to gather relevant insights for creating this popularity chart by observing the interactions and interest around the name on our platform. See what the trend has been among our readers over these past years.

Names With Similar Sound As Zara

If you like how Zara sounds but want more options to choose from, here is the list.

Popular Sibling Names For Zara

If you are looking for some matching sibling names that resonate with Zara, check our suggestions here.

Boy Sibling Names For Zara

Find matching brother names for Zara and create a wonderful team of siblings.

Girl Sibling Names For Zara

Looking for some suitable sister names for Zara? Check out our collection of beautiful and unique names.

Other Popular Names Beginning With Z

Looking for more baby names starting with the letter Z to resonate with your family’s naming tradition or to rhyme with the sibling names? Find a range of alternative names starting with this letter.

Names With Similar Meaning As Zara

Zara has a beautiful meaning, but if you are looking for different names that share the same meaning, we have got you covered.

Anagram Names Of Zara

William Shakespeare is known for his ‘onomastic wit,’ with anagrams being one of them (remember the play Twelfth Night?). Anagram is the rearrangement of the same letters to form different words. Anagramming names has been in vogue for centuries now, and why not when it can create some cute names? Anagram baby names stand out with their unique sound and spellings. You may try an anagram of your name or your partner’s; even better if you combine both names and then try an anagram for the baby. It all stays in the family this way. You may also try anagram names for siblings, especially twins. Here are some anagrams of Zara.

Azar

Raaz

Araz

Azra

Raza

Popular Songs On The Name Zara

Zara has a lyrical presence in various songs. Check them out here.

Song	Artist
Words (feat. Zara Larsson)	Alesso
Symphony (feat. Zara Larsson)	Clean Bandit
Zara Zara	Bombay Jayashri
Zara Sa	Pritam
Symphony (feat. Zara Larsson)	Clean Bandit
Zara Zara - MTV Unwind	Arjun Kanungo
Zara Zara - Lofi	Bombay Jayashri
Zara Zara - Lofi Beat	Bombay Jayashri

Acrostic Poem On Zara

Dive into the lyrical charm of the name Zara with this acrostic poem. Witness how each letter paints together a story, capturing the name’s individuality, strength, vitality, and sophistication. Inspiring, is it? Why not try a similar poem that describes what you think of your baby’s personality?

Zen mind with zero chaos, you embrace tranquility with grace.

Adventurous spirit taking flights to discover the unknown.

Reflecting radiance and practicing resilience.

Affectionate heart, you speak through loving actions.

Zara’s Zodiac Sign And Birth Star As Per Vedic Astrology

Vedic astrology, also called Jyotisha, provides deep insights into a person’s life based on celestial positions at birth. Rashi and nakshatra, which are an integral part of Jyotisha, are believed to influence an individual’s personality and life events. The following sections give you rashi-related information, such as the associated letters, elements, ruling body, quality, and nakshatra for the name Zara. These details help analyze a person’s characteristics, personality, and behavior.

Zodiac Sign (Rashi)

As shown in the following table, each rashi is associated with specific sounds, which are often used as the starting letters of names for newborns in Hindu families. Each rashi is represented by a figure and one of the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (Space). One ruling celestial body, known as its 'rashi lord' or 'ruler' is assigned to these rashis. These bodies include Venus, Mars, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. Furthermore, the rashis are assigned various qualities or gunas.

Rashi (zodiac sign)	Meena (Pisces)
Starting letters for Meena (Pisces) rashi	D, CH, Z, TH
Representation	Fishes
Element	Water
Ruling body	Jupiter
Quality	Dual

Birth Star (Nakshatra)

Another important aspect of Vedic Astrology is the nakshatras, the lunar constellations or star clusters that the Moon occupies during a person's birth. There are 27 nakshatras, each with its own unique qualities, attributes, and symbolism. Each rashi contains two-and-one-fourth nakshatras in it. For example, Aries contains Ashwini, Bharani, and Krithika nakshatras.

The below table provides information on the nakshatras’ degrees on the zodiac circle, their lords and related syllables, for babies born in the Meena (Pisces) rashi. These syllables/phonetics are popularly used to choose the baby name. For precise nakshatra calculation based on your baby's birthplace and date, use our Nakshatra Calculator.

Nakshatra	Degrees Of The Nakshatra	Nakshatra Lord (Ruler)	Name Syllables
Poorvabhadrapada (Purvabhadra, Pururuttathy)	Pisces (0 to 3.20 degrees)	Jupiter	Se, So, Dha, Dhi, Di, Da, Daa, Dee
Uttarabhadrapada (Uthrittathy)	Pisces (3.20 to 16.40 degrees)	Saturn	Du, Tha, Jha, Na, Gna, Jna, Da, Gy
Revathi	Pisces (16.40 to 30 degrees)	Mercury	De, Do, Cha, Chaa, Chi, Chee

Infographic: Know The Name Zara‘s Personality As Per Numerology

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Zara In Different Languages

It’s exciting to see our baby’s name spelled and written in various languages. See how people spell Zara in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and more! Each language has its own way of saying Zara, but it’s still the same special name. Learn how the name looks and sounds in different languages around the world!

Name	Language	Code
Zara	English	en
扎拉	Chinese	zh-CN
ज़ारा	Hindi	hi
Zara	Spanish	es
Zara	French	fr
زارا	Arabic	ar
জারা	Bengali	bn
Zara	Portuguese	pt
Зара	Russian	ru
زارا	Urdu	ur
Zara	Indonesian	id
Zara	German	de
ザラ	Japanese	ja
ज़ारा	Marathi	mr
జరా	Telugu	te
Zara	Turkish	tr
ஜாரா	Tamil	ta
Zara	Vietnamese	vi
Zara	Tagalog	tl
자라	Korean	ko
Zara	Hausa	ha
Zara	Swahili	sw
Zara	Javanese	jv
Zara	Italian	it
ਜ਼ਰਾ	Punjabi	pa
ઝારા	Gujarati	gu
ซาร่า	Thai	th
ಜರಾ	Kannada	kn
ዛራ	Amharic	am
ज़ारा	Bhojpuri	bho
Zara	Yoruba	yo

How To Communicate The Name Zara In Sign Languages

In Nautical Flags

zara

In Sign Language

zara

In Braille Alphabet

zara

In Morse Code

zara

Name Numerology For Zara

Numerology is an occult system that gives significance to numbers and their influence on human life and destiny. Numerologists attribute specific qualities, energies, and characteristics to a number. Parents who believe in numerology prefer to choose baby names that resonate positively with the child’s unique numerical vibrations, often derived from their date of birth. Here we give a general birth number and personality traits of the name Zara, based on the Pythagorean (Western) system. This analysis will differ from child to child based on their date of birth. You may use our numerology calculator for more personalized information.

Baby Name Lists Containing Zara

Read through our baby name lists that include the name Zara and several other similar names. The wider the choice, the better your selection. Isn't it?

Movie Titles Inspired By The Name Zara

Discover the presence of Zara in an array of films. Know about the various movies that have this name.

Movie title	Other titles	Release year
Zara & Erika: Summer Beach Party		2023
Zara Hatke Zara Bachke	Отойдите в сторону и будьте осторожны	2023
Zara & Erika: A Tale of Annabelle	A Tale of Annabelle	2021
Zara Si Bhool A Small Mistake	A Small Mistake	2015
Zara sambhal ke		2013
Muskurake Dekh Zara		2010
Aa Dekhen Zara	Freeze, Остановись, мгновение!	2009
Zara		2009

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the meaning of the name Zara?

The name Zara means flower or princess.

2. What is the origin of the name Zara?

Zara has an Arabic and Hebrew origin.

3. How to pronounce the name Zara?

Zara is pronounced as zah-ruh.

4. What are some middle names that can pair well with Zara?

Anthea (meaning flower, blossom), Calanthe (beautiful flower), Florinda (flower), and Ione (violet flower) are some unique middle names that can pair well with Zara. These feminine names connote the image of a beautiful flower and can relate to the meaning of Zara.

5. Are there any fictional characters named Zara?

Zara Carmichael is a character from the TV series Doctors, portrayed by Elisabeth Dermot Walsh, introduced as a general physician at the Mill Health Centre. Zara Morgan is another character from the popular British TV series Hollyoaks. Lastly, Zara is a comic book character appearing in DC comics as a recurring adversary of Wonder Woman.

Look Up For Many More Names

Do you have a name in mind and want to know more about it? Or want to find names belonging to a particular origin, religion, or having a specific meaning? Use our search tool below to explore more baby names with different combinations.