Zarina
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "shining" or "golden".
Name Census estimates that about 1,504 living Americans carry the first name Zarina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zarina today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zarina births was 2015 (95 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zarina. 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.
Key insights
- • Zarina is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 17 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.5K
~ 1 in 227,895 Americans
Peak year
2015
95 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,340
Tracked since 1966
Popularity
Zarina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zarina from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 575 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zarina remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zarina 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 Zarina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zarinas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Zarina, while Washington, New Jersey, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 63 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zarina
The name Zarina is of Persian origin, deriving from the word "zar" meaning gold or golden. It is believed to have originated in ancient Persia, now known as Iran, during the reign of the Sassanid Empire (226–651 AD). The name was likely used to describe someone with a golden or radiant complexion, or as a term of endearment.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zarina can be found in the Shahnameh, a renowned Persian epic poem written by the celebrated poet Ferdowsi between 977 and 1010 AD. In this literary masterpiece, Zarina is depicted as a beautiful and virtuous princess.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Zarina. One such figure was Zarina Begum (1638–1700), a Mughal princess and the daughter of the powerful Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her influential role in the Mughal court.
Another prominent Zarina was Zarina Huntington (1867–1957), an American philanthropist and socialite. She was instrumental in founding the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, which houses a vast collection of rare books, manuscripts, and works of art.
In the realm of literature, Zarina Hashmi (1938–2022) was a renowned Pakistani poet and writer. Her works explored themes of love, feminism, and social justice, earning her numerous accolades, including the prestigious Pride of Performance award from the Pakistani government.
Zarina Wahab (born 1959) is an acclaimed Indian actress who has appeared in numerous Bollywood films and television shows. She is particularly known for her roles in the critically acclaimed movies "Chit Chor" and "Lakshmi."
Zarina Screwvala (born 1954) is an Indian businesswoman and philanthropist. She co-founded the Swades Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering rural communities in India through sustainable development initiatives.
The name Zarina has transcended cultural boundaries and continues to be popular across various regions, carrying with it a rich historical legacy and connotations of beauty, radiance, and nobility.
People
Zarina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zarina 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
Zarina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zarina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,504 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zarina 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 227,895 US residents.
Is Zarina a common name?
We classify Zarina as "Rare". It ranks above 92.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,533 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zarina most popular?
The single biggest year for Zarina was 2015, when 95 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zarina is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zarina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zarina 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.