Zara
Zara is a feminine given name and a surname.
- Literature
- English
- Bulgarian
Meaning & Origin of Zara
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Zara is a feminine given name and a surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Literature
- English
- Bulgarian
The Story of Zara
American parents first put Zara on the record books as a baby girl name in 1896, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 1,438 Zaras were born — ranking #201 that year. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 43% of all recorded Zaras. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #239 among baby girl names with 1,318 births, holding steady (+3%). In total, more than 22K Zaras have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Zara
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Zara. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Zaharina
- Zaharinka
Names that sound like Zara
Phonetically similar names — useful when Zara is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Zara
What does the name Zara mean?
What is the origin of the name Zara?
How popular is Zara in 2026?
When was Zara most popular?
In which U.S. states is Zara most popular?
Is Zara a unisex name?
What names go well with Zara?
What are nicknames or variants of Zara?
About the name Zara
Zara is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1896 and has accumulated 22K births in the dataset. Zara's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #201. Use the chart and map above to compare Zara's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "Z" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.