Zahra
Zahra was the 540th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 562 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 151 places. More babies were named Zahra in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning radiant; flower (Arabic) · Arabic
Say it ZAH-ruh /ˈzɑrə/
- Rank in 2025
- #540 girls, up 52 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 562girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025562 babies
- Total since 1880
- 9,395babies recorded
What does the name Zahra mean?
Zahra comes from Arabic al-Zahrāʾ, "the radiant one," an epithet of Fatima, the daughter of the prophet Muhammad. Wiktionary explains zahrāʾ as the feminine of azhar, which means shining, luminous or bright. Wiktionary also records a second Arabic name written Zahra, from zahra, flower or blossom (and figuratively splendor). The two words look alike in English and are related, so the name can carry either sense.
زَهْرَاء (Arabic, “radiant, shining (feminine)”)أَزْهَر (Arabic, “shining, luminous, bright”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary only. Two Arabic names are written Zahra: zahrāʾ 'radiant' (Fatima's epithet) and zahra 'flower'.
Pronunciation: In Arabic the h is pronounced: ZAH-hrah.
Related names: Zahraa, Zara, Fatima.
See also: Arabic names, names that mean light, names that mean flower.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Zahra' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'زهراء' (Arabic section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'أزهر' (Arabic section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'زهرة' (Arabic section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Zahra popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #540 | 562 |
| 2020 | #592 | 493 |
| 2010 | #1,114 | 222 |
| 2000 | #1,576 | 113 |
| 1990 | #2,568 | 47 |
| 1980 | #5,244 | 14 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Zahra, counting every spelling?
Zahra is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #502 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #540 for Zahra on its own. Together these spellings went to 613 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zahra | 562 | #540 | 2,569 |
| Zahraa | 35 | #4,168 | 155 |
| Zahrah | 16 | #7,123 | 101 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Zahra?
562 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Zahra (0.16 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Zahra born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 15 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Zahra.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Zahra?
About 9,300 people born in the US named Zahra are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 5 and 18. That makes Zahra a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Zahra by state
How common Zahra was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (2.7×), Connecticut (2.5×), Virginia (2.4×), New Jersey (2.3×), New York (2.3×). In 19 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Zahra: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Zahra, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Zahra · Sibling names for Zahra
Questions about the name Zahra
What does Zahra mean?
Zahra means “radiant; flower (Arabic)” (Arabic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Zahra?
Zahra was the 540th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 562 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 151 places. More babies were named Zahra in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Zahra a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Zahra in the US.
Where is Zahra most popular?
In 2021–2025, Zahra was most common in Maryland (0.86 per 1,000 girls), followed by Connecticut and Virginia.