Zara
Definition
The English form of Zahra(h), an Arabic name meaning "to flower or achieve splendour", Zara was introduced by William Congreve as the name of an African queen in his play The Mourning Bride (1697). It was then used by Aaron Hill in 1735 as the title and name of the heroine of his translation of a melodramatic tragedy by Voltaire, in the original French called Zaïre (1733). However, it was rarely found in real life until the 1960s. Although the Princess Royal brought the name to the attention of the general public when she chose it for her daughter in 1981 it does not seem to have led to any marked increase in the name's use until more recently when Zara Philips has become well known in her own right. It is well used in the UK and Ireland, but in the USA the variant Zaria(h) is more likely to be used.
Sex
Girls
Similar names
Naming Your Baby
Copyright © 2007 Julia Cresswell
