Given name
Zarah
“princess”
In English use, Zarah has a related form in Sarah. Sarah means “princess” in Hebrew.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Zarah has a related form in Sarah. Sarah means “princess” in Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Zarah has a related form in Sarah. Sarah comes from Hebrew biblical tradition and is the name given to Abraham’s wife in Genesis.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Zarah has a related form in Sarah. The shared background comes through Sarah: In the biblical account, Sarai is renamed Sarah as part of a blessing. Later Irish and Scottish uses sometimes adopted Sarah in place of local Gaelic names, a separate practice from its Hebrew origin.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1968. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Zarah has a related form in Sarah. The history of Sarah gives this family its wider story. Sarah is remembered in Genesis as Abraham’s wife and Isaac’s mother. Sarah’s later local adaptations included use for Sorcha in Ireland and Mor in Scotland, showing how an established biblical name could serve different naming traditions.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Zarah through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,957
- 0 boys · 2,957 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 199 babies
- 2025
- 151
- #1,435 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +26%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 151 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,435 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 26.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (16). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,032 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Zarah’s family of names
In English usage, Zarah has a related form in Sarah. In German usage, Zarah has a conventional equivalent in the French form Sarah. In German usage, Zarah has a related form in Sarah.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Zarah has relatives in 3 languages.
4 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Zarah
- Zarah LeanderSwedish actress and singer (1907–1981)
- Zarah SultanaBritish politicianborn 1993
- Diamond ZahraNigerian actressborn 1996
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Zarah, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Zilah
“the shadowed one”
>99% girls
Amira
“a princess; one who commands”
>99% girls
Selah
“to hang”
1% boys · 99% girls
Katalina
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Elle
“shining light” · “the shining light”
>99% girls
Kinzie
“the king's victory” · “the victorious prince”
>99% girls
Elisa
“my God is bountiful” · “God is my oath”
>99% girls
Ellie
“from a foreign land” · “God is my oath”
>99% girls