Zara
Zara was the 212th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,432 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 201st with 1,441 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 190 places. More babies were named Zara in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Hebrew, Arabic, English
Say it ZAR-uh /ˈzɑrə/
- Rank in 2025
- #212 girls, up 5 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,432girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20221,441 babies
- Total since 1880
- 20,930babies recorded
What does the name Zara mean?
Zara has more than one explanation. Wiktionary describes it as a 20th-century variant of Sarah, or as explained by Arabic zahra, 'flower', and notes that it became widely known when Princess Anne gave it to her daughter in 1981. Wikipedia adds that it is often linked with the biblical Zerah, though that connection is not well supported. Because the sources disagree, we do not give a single meaning.
שָׂרָה (Biblical Hebrew, “Sarah, princess”)زَهْرَة (Arabic, “zahra, flower”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. A variant of Sarah or linked with Arabic 'flower'; not settled.
Related names: Sarah, Zahra, Zaria, Sara.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Zara', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Zara (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Zara popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #212 | 1,432 |
| 2020 | #217 | 1,335 |
| 2010 | #719 | 393 |
| 2000 | #1,517 | 121 |
| 1990 | #2,052 | 66 |
| 1980 | #2,939 | 31 |
| 1970 | #3,433 | 19 |
| 1960 | #5,692 | 7 |
| 1950 | #6,103 | 5 |
| 1940 | #2,734 | 11 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | #3,091 | 11 |
| 1910 | #1,769 | 9 |
| 1900 | #1,429 | 9 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Zara, counting every spelling?
Zara is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #216 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #212 for Zara on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,607 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zara | 1,432 | #212 | 6,904 |
| Zarah | 151 | #1,435 | 838 |
| Zaara | 17 | #6,824 | 145 |
| Zarrah | 7 | #13,174 | 43 |
| Zarra | — | — | 34 |
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 Zara?
1,432 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Zara (0.40 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Zara 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 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Zara.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Zara?
About 20,400 people born in the US named Zara are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 4 and 14. That makes Zara 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.
Zara by state
How common Zara was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (3.5×), Connecticut (2.1×), Maryland (1.9×), New Jersey (1.9×), Nevada (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Hampshire, Montana, Mississippi.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Zara: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Zara, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Zara · Sibling names for Zara
Questions about the name Zara
What does Zara mean?
The origin of Zara is uncertain: a variant of Sarah or linked with Arabic 'flower'; not settled.
How popular is the name Zara?
Zara was the 212th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,432 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 201st with 1,441 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 190 places. More babies were named Zara in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Zara a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Zara in the US.
Where is Zara most popular?
In 2021–2025, Zara was most common in District of Columbia (2.95 per 1,000 girls), followed by Connecticut and Maryland.