How to say it
ZA · ra
/ˈzɑr.ə/
Feminine
Zara
Blooming, or 'princess'
What it means
Two roots converged: Arabic Zahra ('blooming, radiant') and Hebrew Zara (a variant of Sarah, 'princess'). The Zara fashion brand is the dominant English-language commercial anchor.
Zara has two roots that converged in modern English usage. The Arabic Zahra means 'blooming, radiant, shining' (the same root that gives Fatima al-Zahra, the Prophet Muhammad's daughter). The Hebrew Zara is a variant of Sarah ('princess'). The fashion brand Zara (founded 1975 in Spain by Amancio Ortega) is the dominant English-language commercial anchor. Zara Phillips (Princess Anne's daughter, born 1981) is the royal-family anchor. As a given name it's been climbing the US charts since 2010; it entered the top 300 in 2017. Single short forms aren't common.
Popularity over time
peaked at #201 in 2022, currently #212 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
ZAR-ah in standard US English; ZAH-rah in Arabic. Both are accepted.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Zara (fashion brand) Spanish multinational clothing retailer, founded 1975
- Zara Phillips Princess Anne's daughter, equestrian Olympic medalist
Spelling variants
- Zahra
- Zarah
Names with the same feeling
See Zara from another angle
By meaning