Girl name · English
Zara
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: literary name, possibly based on Arabic Zahra, shiningZara is a girl's name that comes from English and means "literary name, possibly based on Arabic Zahra, shining". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Literary name, possibly based on Arabic Zahra, shining
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #212 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Zara
As a girl's name, Zara comes from English and means "literary name, possibly based on Arabic Zahra, shining". It is used in English.
Its meaning puts Zara on our names that mean light list.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
How popular is Zara?
- US rank in 2025
- #212
- 1,432 babies, 891 per million girls
- Best rank
- #201 in 2022
- 1,441 babies that year
- Babies since 1896
- At least 20,930
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 5 per million |
| 1900s | 10 per million |
| 1910s | 14 per million |
| 1920s | 9 per million |
| 1930s | 6 per million |
| 1940s | 5 per million |
| 1950s | 3 per million |
| 1960s | 3 per million |
| 1970s | 13 per million |
| 1980s | 21 per million |
| 1990s | 39 per million |
| 2000s | 138 per million |
| 2010s | 478 per million |
| 2020s | 847 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #319 | #283 | #254 | #239 | #217 | #212 | #201 | #236 | #234 | #212 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Zara
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- ZahraRadiant, shining (Arabic, girl)
- ZoraDawn (Slavic, girl)
- ZehraShining, bright (Arabic, girl)
- ZibaBeautiful, lovely (Persian, girl)
- ZinaShort form of Zinaida, of Zeus (Greek, girl)
- ZivaRadiance, splendor (Hebrew, girl)
- ZlataGolden (Slavic, girl)
- ZoyaLife, from Greek zoe (Greek, girl)
- ZuriBeautiful, good (Swahili, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- EstherPossibly star (Persian, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- LeilaNight, from Arabic layl (Arabic, girl)
- RoxanaBright, shining (Persian, girl)
- AilaniPossibly from Hawaiian ʻAilani, to rule as chief, or Aylín (Hawaiian, girl)
- AilanyVariant of Ailani, possibly Hawaiian, to rule as chief (Hawaiian, girl)
- ArlethVariant of Arlette, from Herleva, possibly army and legacy (Germanic, girl)
- AtlasPossibly enduring, from Greek tlao, to endure (Greek, boy)
- EdenPossibly delight, pleasure (Hebrew, unisex)
- JessePossibly gift, or existence (Hebrew, boy)
- LaylaNight, from Arabic layl (Arabic, girl)
- NayeliPossibly from Zapotec words meaning I love you or open (Zapotec, girl)
- OwenAnglicized form of Owain, possibly from Latin Eugenius (Welsh, boy)
- RoksanaBright, shining (Persian, girl)
Middle names for Zara
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from English
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- SamanthaPerhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha (English, girl)
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- CataleyaFrom cattleya, an orchid named for William Cattley (English, girl)
- EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
- HeatherHeather plant (English, girl)
- LillyVariant of Lily, the flower (English, girl)
- AdairFrom a surname derived from Edgar (English, unisex)
- AddisonSon of Adam (English, girl)
- AloraVariant of Elora, probably invented; used in the film Willow (English, girl)
- AmoraApparently a modern coinage based on Latin amor, love (English, girl)
- AutumnFall season (English, girl)
- BayA sheltered curve of coast (English, unisex)
- BriarThorny wild shrub (English, girl)
- BrynleeVariant of Brinley, a blend of Bryn and lee (English, girl)
- CallaCalla lily (English, girl)
- DarleneDarling (English, girl)
Zara: common questions
What does the name Zara mean?
Zara comes from English and means "literary name, possibly based on Arabic Zahra, shining". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Zara a boy or girl name?
Zara is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Zara come from?
Zara comes from English and means "literary name, possibly based on Arabic Zahra, shining". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Zara?
Zara ranked #212 in the US in 2025, with 1,432 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Zara?
Names spelled like Zara include Zahra, Zora, Zehra, Ziba and Zina.
What middle names go with Zara?
Middle names that flow well with Zara include Amber, Belle, Constance, Daphne and Estelle. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.