Zaharah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "blooming flower" or "flourishing".
Name Census estimates that about 159 living Americans carry the first name Zaharah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zaharah today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zaharah births was 2019 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zaharah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
159
~ 1 in 2,155,688 Americans
Peak year
2019
22 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,922
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Zaharah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zaharah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 96 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zaharah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zaharah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Zaharah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zaharah
The name Zaharah is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with its roots tracing back to ancient Semitic languages spoken in the Middle East and North Africa regions. The name is derived from the Arabic word "zahra," which means "flower" or "blossom," symbolizing beauty, purity, and grace.
In the 7th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Zaharah bint Muhammad, the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Her life and example as a devoted and pious woman have been revered within the Islamic faith, contributing to the widespread use of the name among Muslim communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the writings of Ibn Ishaq, a renowned Islamic scholar and biographer from the 8th century. He documented the life of Zaharah bint Muhammad, providing valuable insights into the significance of her name and its association with the early Islamic community.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Zaharah. One prominent example is Zaharah al-Sadat (1933-1992), an Egyptian political activist and the wife of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. She played a crucial role in advocating for women's rights and social reform in Egypt.
Another notable Zaharah was Zaharah al-Khansa (575-645 CE), an acclaimed Arab poet from the pre-Islamic era. Her poetic works, often centered around themes of grief and loss, have been preserved and celebrated as part of the Arabic literary heritage.
In the realm of Islamic scholarship, Zaharah bint Abi Layla (714-742 CE) stands out as a prominent figure. She was a renowned hadith scholar and jurist, respected for her expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and her contributions to the preservation of prophetic traditions.
The name Zaharah has also been borne by influential figures in other cultures and regions. Zaharah Alma (1905-1992) was a notable writer and activist from Puerto Rico, who championed the rights of women and workers through her literary works and activism.
Another historical figure bearing the name was Zaharah Khatun (1265-1303), a Mongol princess and the wife of the Ilkhanid ruler Arghun Khan. She played a significant role in the cultural and political affairs of the Ilkhanid dynasty, which ruled over parts of modern-day Iran, Iraq, and Turkey.
While the name Zaharah holds deep roots in Arabic and Islamic traditions, its beauty and symbolism have transcended cultural boundaries, making it a name cherished by many across the globe.
People
Zaharah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zaharah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zaharah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zaharah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 159 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zaharah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,155,688 US residents.
Is Zaharah a common name?
We classify Zaharah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 160 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zaharah most popular?
The single biggest year for Zaharah was 2019, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zaharah is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zaharah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zaharah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.