Zara (name)


Zara is a feminine given name and a surname.
Zara is commonly cited as a Hebrew name and considered a variant of the Hebrew name Sarah or a feminine form of Zarah, better known as Zerah, a biblical figure from the Book of Genesis. The connection between Zara and Zarah is not well-supported by evidence.
Another theory suggests that Zara is an Arabic version of Zahra, meaning "flower" or "radiant." However, the "h" in Zahra is pronounced and not silent, making the origins of the name "Zara" more blurry.
Other interpretations say that it is the English form of the name Zaïre, the central character of Voltaire's 1732 play Zaïre. Another derivation, unrelated to the above, is the Bulgarian name Zara which is a diminutive of Zaharina or Zaharinka. Its popularity may have also been influenced by the naming of Princess Anne's daughter Zara Phillips in 1981, and the Spanish fashion store Zara.
In the Balkans, Zara is popular in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Albania. It is especially popular among Bosniaks in the former Yugoslav nations. The name is a modification to the name Zahra, which is written as Zehra in the region and it holds the same meanings of flower, blossom; splendor, beauty; brightness, radiance.

Given name

Surname

Fictional characters