Zara

Q: What does Zara mean?

Zara is a girls' name of Arabic origin, probably from Zahra. A captive queen named Zara appears in Congreve's 1697 play The Mourning Bride; Zara Tindall, Princess Anne's daughter, is a well-known bearer.

Gender: Girl
Say it: ZAH-ra
Origin: Arabic
UK rank, 2025: #69 for girls
US rank, 2025: #212 for girls

Classic

Zara is a girls' name of Arabic origin. In 2025 it ranked 69th for girls in the UK (731 babies) and 212th for girls in the US (1,432 babies).

What does Zara mean?

Arabic: probably from Zahra

A captive queen named Zara appears in Congreve's 1697 play The Mourning Bride; Zara Tindall, Princess Anne's daughter, is a well-known bearer.

Is Zara a girl's or a boy's name?

Zara is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 731 girls in the UK and 1,432 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Zara in the UK?

Rank in 2025: #69among girls
Babies in 2025: 731about 1 in 380 girls
Five-year trend: Steadydown 14% in five years
Same name in a class: 3.6%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 731 girls in the UK were named Zara, making it the 69th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 71st. Its busiest year was 2008, with 1,135 girls.

It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had fewer girls named Zara than any year since 2004.

Half of all the girls named Zara in the UK since 1996 were born between 2007 and 2018. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.

In 2025, 1,245 girls in the UK were given Zara or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #43, up from #69 for this spelling alone.

Zara 731
Zahra 440
Zarah 42
Zahrah 14
Zahraa 13
Zaara 5

Among girls in 2025, it was 73rd in England and Wales, 56th in Scotland and 55th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2004 (#96), 2014 (#67) and 2024 (#70).

1996Busiest: 1,135 in 20082025

Zara in the UK, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	731	#69
2024	796	#61
2023	798	#62
2022	818	#67
2021	917	#65
2020	826	#71
2019	958	#66
2018	935	#64
2017	1,022	#64
2016	1,044	#66
2015	925	#69
2014	984	#68
2013	922	#71
2012	1,043	#65
2011	927	#69
2010	957	#75
2009	1,013	#73
2008	1,135	#63
2007	1,067	#66
2006	876	#77
2005	739	#82
2004	634	#94
2003	601	#97
2002	552	#101
2001	563	#104
2000	506	#112
1999	481	#118
1998	357	#144
1997	333	#155
1996	289	#170

How popular is Zara in the US?

Rank in 2025: #212among girls
Babies in 2025: 1,432about 1 in 1,100 girls
Five-year trend: Steadyup 3% in five years
Same name in a class: 1.2%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 1,432 girls in the US were named Zara, making it the 212th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 217th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 1,441 girls. It first appears in the records in 1896.

Half of all the girls named Zara in the US since 1880 were born between 2012 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 2,220 girls in the US were given Zara or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #160, up from #212 for this spelling alone.

Zara 1,432
Zahra 562
Zarah 151
Zahraa 35
Zaara 17
Zahrah 16
Zarrah 7

1896Busiest: 1,441 in 20222025

Zara in the US, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	1,432	#212
2024	1,333	#233
2023	1,285	#236
2022	1,441	#201
2021	1,413	#212
2020	1,335	#217
2019	1,321	#238
2018	1,282	#253
2017	1,157	#282
2016	1,024	#319
2015	809	#401
2014	765	#420
2013	630	#482
2012	537	#552
2011	449	#634
2010	393	#718
2009	367	#774
2008	376	#780
2007	408	#718
2006	312	#856
2005	270	#920
2004	179	#1,228
2003	222	#1,031
2002	145	#1,337
2001	142	#1,347
2000	121	#1,509
1999	111	#1,530
1998	90	#1,749
1997	70	#2,020
1996	81	#1,804
1995	64	#2,096
1994	74	#1,900
1993	52	#2,412
1992	48	#2,571
1991	53	#2,382
1990	66	#2,024
1989	50	#2,333
1988	38	#2,739
1987	37	#2,655
1986	47	#2,194
1985	31	#2,938
1984	25	#3,328
1983	42	#2,271
1982	26	#3,259
1981	27	#3,147
1980	31	#2,866
1979	28	#2,997
1978	26	#3,009
1977	18	#3,910
1976	17	#3,811
1975	26	#2,811
1974	17	#3,695
1973	16	#3,786
1972	18	#3,404
1971	15	#3,941
1970	19	#3,311
1969	10	#4,722
1968	0	–
1967	5	#6,803
1966	6	#5,808
1965	0	–
1964	8	#5,007
1963	6	#5,890
1962	9	#4,532
1961	8	#4,881
1960	7	#5,167
1959	5	#6,244
1958	5	#6,102
1957	5	#6,085
1956	13	#3,320
1955	9	#4,068
1954	10	#3,717
1953	8	#4,225
1952	7	#4,482
1951	0	–
1950	5	#5,299
1949	10	#3,392
1948	0	–
1947	10	#3,446
1946	12	#2,879
1945	6	#4,023
1944	7	#3,685
1943	7	#3,800
1942	13	#2,536
1941	0	–
1940	11	#2,571
1939	8	#3,143
1938	11	#2,578
1937	6	#3,798
1936	0	–
1935	5	#4,202
1934	8	#3,157
1933	8	#3,108
1932	8	#3,272
1931	5	#4,329
1930	0	–
1929	9	#3,135
1928	10	#2,952
1927	8	#3,559
1926	10	#3,045
1925	14	#2,488
1924	12	#2,808
1923	8	#3,640
1922	11	#2,956
1921	14	#2,509
1920	11	#2,899
1919	11	#2,812
1918	9	#3,243
1917	11	#2,692
1916	9	#3,029
1915	21	#1,622
1914	12	#2,009
1913	10	#2,033
1912	11	#1,718
1911	9	#1,656
1910	9	#1,634
1909	0	–
1908	8	#1,547
1907	0	–
1906	0	–
1905	6	#1,695
1904	6	#1,658
1903	0	–
1902	0	–
1901	0	–
1900	9	#1,318
1899	5	#1,595
1898	0	–
1897	0	–
1896	5	#1,582

Names like Zara

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Lyla Lyra Myla Fatima Layla Isla Mila Bella Ava Luna Thea Willow

Other spellings of Zara

Zahra Zarah Zahrah Zahraa Zaara Zarrah

Names related to Zara

Zaira Zariah Zaria Zari Zariya Zaryah

More Arabic names

Muhammad Mohammed Mohammad Aaliyah Amir Amira Ali Yahya Zayn Aisha Omar Hamza Kairo Safa Liyana Zainab

Every Arabic name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Zara: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/zara, updated 20 October 2026.