Given name & surname
Zira
“the pathway”
Zira is used as a given name and a surname. One African interpretation is “the pathway.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One African interpretation is “the pathway.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is African.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1974. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Zira through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 186
- 0 boys · 186 girls
- Most popular year
- 2023
- 22 babies
- 2025
- 17
- #6,835 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +178%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 17 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 6,835 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 184 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.
Zira’s family of names
Zira has a related form in Zyra. Zira has a related form in Zirah. Zira has a related form in Zirra.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Zira has relatives in 9 languages.
10 related names in 9 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 12
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Zairaequivalent
- Ziaraequivalent
- Aziraequivalent
- Siraequivalent
- ЗираRussian, Serbo-Croatian
- ЗіраUkrainian
- ซีร่าThai
- 지나Korean
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Similar names
If you love Zira, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Tazara
“a railway line”
>99% girls
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“from the salty place”
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Semira
“one who is fulfilled” · “from heaven”
>99% girls
Yemaya
“an intelligent woman”
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Rehema
“a compassionate woman”
>99% girls
Xola
“stay in peace”
>99% girls
Afia
“born on a Friday”
>99% girls
Faizah
“a victorious woman”
>99% girls