Zhara
A feminine name of Persian origin meaning "golden" or "radiant".
Name Census estimates that about 338 living Americans carry the first name Zhara. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zhara today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zhara births was 2022 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zhara. 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
338
~ 1 in 1,014,066 Americans
Peak year
2022
31 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,138
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Zhara: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zhara 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 149 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zhara 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 Zhara during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zharas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Florida, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Zhara, while Texas, New York, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zhara
The name Zhara is believed to have its origins in the Persian language. It is derived from the Persian word "zharah," which means "radiant" or "shining." This name was popular in ancient Persia, which is now modern-day Iran, during the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BC) and the Sassanid Empire (224-651 AD).
The name Zhara has been documented in various historical texts and records from the region. One notable mention is in the Shahnameh, a famous epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century AD. In this work, Zhara is mentioned as the name of a beautiful Persian princess.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Zhara was Zhara Khatun, a prominent Persian noblewoman who lived in the 13th century. She was the daughter of the Seljuk Sultan Ala ad-Din Kayqubad I and played a significant role in the political affairs of the Seljuk Empire.
Another notable figure named Zhara was Zhara Begum, a 16th-century Mughal princess. She was the daughter of the Mughal Emperor Akbar and was known for her beauty and intelligence. Zhara Begum was also a patron of arts and literature, and her court attracted many renowned poets and scholars of the time.
In the 19th century, Zhara Khanum was a famous Iranian singer and musician. She was born in 1859 and was renowned for her mastery of Persian classical music. Zhara Khanum's performances were highly acclaimed, and she played a significant role in preserving and promoting traditional Persian music.
During the 20th century, Zhara Abdullayeva was a notable Azerbaijani writer and poet. She was born in 1923 and was celebrated for her literary works that explored themes of love, patriotism, and the struggles of women in society. Zhara Abdullayeva's poetry collections, such as "The Homeland," and "The Burning Heart," were widely acclaimed and earned her numerous literary awards.
While the name Zhara has its roots in ancient Persia, it has been embraced by various cultures and communities around the world over time, with each region adding its unique cultural influences and interpretations to the name.
People
Zhara + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zhara 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
Zhara: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zhara?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 338 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zhara 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 1,014,066 US residents.
Is Zhara a common name?
We classify Zhara as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 341 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zhara most popular?
The single biggest year for Zhara was 2022, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zhara is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zhara a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zhara 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.