Rising since 2022, #9,457 for girls today.
Popularity of Zaharah since 2006
Babies named Zaharah per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 2000s | 28 |
| 2010s | 96 |
| 2020s | 46 |
Meaning & origin
Zaharah is a modern American name that first appeared in Social Security records in 2006, placing it among the recent wave of inventive respellings and melodic variants. It has never been common, but its use has been slowly rising since 2022, suggesting growing appeal among parents seeking a name that sounds both familiar and distinctive. The name's peak year was 2019, reflecting a broader trend for soft, 'Z'-initial names ending in '-ah.' With no strong ties to any specific cultural tradition, Zaharah offers a blank slate for families looking for a name with a contemporary feel. Its rarity, with an estimated 1 in 160,727 girls receiving the name in 2025, adds to its uniqueness.
Zaharah is a modern English coinage, often considered a creative variant of the Arabic name Zahra, which means 'flower' or 'blooming.' It may also be a respelling of Sahara, the desert. The name first appeared in U.S. records in 2006 and has seen modest but rising use, particularly in the 2010s. Its exact derivation remains uncertain, as it does not have a long historical pedigree.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Zara, Zahra, Hara
Sibling names for Zaharah
Names that share Zaharah's style, for a brother or sister.
