Zahra
Say it: ZAH-ra
GirlMeans flower, or brightness5 letters2 syllables
#226
in Ireland (2025)
#229 with spellings combined
19
babies in 2025
#229
best rank (2025)
217
babies since 1993
Up 307
10-year rank change
Zahra through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19 | #229 |
| 2024 | 15 | #279 |
| 2023 | 16 | #248 |
| 2022 | 12 | #338 |
| 2021 | 11 | #364 |
| 2020 | 11 | #355 |
| 2019 | 12 | #344 |
| 2018 | 12 | #358 |
| 2017 | 11 | #368 |
| 2016 | 10 | #422 |
| 2015 | 7 | #536 |
| 2014 | 9 | #462 |
| 2013 | 5 | #664 |
| 2012 | 5 | #679 |
| 2011 | 4 | #796 |
| 2010 | 5 | #666 |
| 2009 | 6 | #583 |
| 2008 | 10 | #431 |
| 2007 | 4 | #704 |
| 2006 | 6 | #503 |
| 2004 | 6 | #476 |
| 2003 | 4 | #559 |
| 2002 | 6 | #406 |
| 2001 | 4 | #498 |
| 1997 | 4 | #496 |
| 1993 | 3 | #516 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Zahra mean?
Flower, or brightness
Arabic, from al-Zahra, a title of Fatimah, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad.
Say it right
ZAHra
The story of Zahra
Zahra is an Arabic girls’ name. It became widely used as a title of Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, who is often called Fatimah al-Zahra. The Arabic root is linked with flowers and blossom, and also with brightness and beauty, so the name is explained in both ways.
From the Arab world it spread through the Muslim communities of South Asia, and later to the Balkans in Ottoman times. Today it is used across many countries and languages.
In Ireland Zahra first reached three babies a year in 1993. It has grown slowly but steadily, and 2025 was its best year yet, with 19 girls and a CSO rank of number 226. The CSO counts Zahra and Zara separately. Zara is the more common of the two, but it is a different name with its own history.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Zahra (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Zahra (name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Zahra | 19 | 217 |
In Northern Ireland
Not in the 2025 list. Best rank #302 (2023); 23 babies since 2003.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.