Zara: meaning and UK use

What does Zara mean?

The cited English entry traces Zara through literary use and suggests a possible connection to Zahra. It does not establish blooming as a certain direct translation.

Language or name family covered

English literary use; possible Arabic link

Meaning or derivation

Derivation uncertain

Our browsing group

girl; modern, international

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Zara

Pronunciation and related forms

ZAR-uh (English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

No variants or nicknames have been verified for this entry. A family nickname does not need to be an established dictionary form.

How popular is Zara?

In 2025, 625 baby girls in England and Wales were registered as Zara, making it the 73rd most popular girls’ name. That is down 4 places on 2024, when it ranked 69th. It has held a similar position for a decade (72nd in 2015). Its best year in the ONS series was 2019, at 66th. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (girls)

73rd

2025 registrations

625

Best rank in this series

66th (2019)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Zara: rank and number of baby girls by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	73	625
2024	69	666
2023	73	631
2022	70	685
2021	69	773
2020	73	712
2019	66	805
2018	68	765
2017	70	842
2016	68	876
2015	72	799
2014	67	838
2013	70	780
2012	71	886
2011	73	790
2010	76	815
2009	75	832
2008	71	938
2007	70	897
2006	80	727
2005	85	640
2004	96	538
2003	99	505
2002	100	456
2001	104	471
2000	113	436
1999	123	399
1998	141	321
1997	158	289
1996	168	265

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 girls series is 20,002. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Zara

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Amarainternational, modern · Grace
• Ariamodern, international · Song or melody; literally air
• Diyainternational, modern · Lamp or light
• Freyamodern, international · Lady
• Mayainternational, modern · Meaning depends on the language
• Miamodern, international · A short form of Maria

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Zara, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.