Name of the Week

From Arabic gem, to operatic heroine. 
Once Zara was associated as a princess name; now it practically is.

 

Origin:

Zara is almost certainly a derivative of the Arabic زهراء zahra "bright, shining, radiating," which is most commonly spelt Zahra, or occasionally Zahara, as a feminine Arabic and Persian name. Fatimah, one of the daughters of the Prophet Mohammed, was given the honorific name Fatimah Zahra — "Fatimah the Shining One."  The similar Zahrah (زهرة) means "to flower, to blossom" and most likely shares the same ultimate route.

Usage:

For centuries, Zara has been associated and confused with the name Sarah. In the 16th and 17th century, where Zara is found in records, it is as a misspelling of Sara(h). This S-Z switch wasn't uncommon; Zusan, Zusanna, Zamuel, Zabina, Kesia, Hesekiah etc, can also be found. Even the indomitable Charlotte Mary Yonge attributed Zara as an Arabic name, derived from the Hebrew meaning "princess." Within her study of the name Sarah in 1863 she writes "...the daughters of Sarah were occasionally called by her name, and Zara has been, with what correctness I know not, used as an eastern name."* Zara was also known as an the Italian (and once common) name for the Croatian city of Zadar, once the heart of the Dalmatian Empire. The Seige of Zara (1202) was a major event of the Fourth Crusade and led to the army being excommunicated by the Pope.  Probably the first time Zara was used as a name in its own right was in 1697 when William Congreve used the name for a character in The Mourning Bride. In the play, Zara is a beautiful Moorish queen and her origins give an indication that Congreve was aware of, and intended, the Arabic name Zahra. Voltaire used a French form Zaïre for the main character for his tragedy Zaïre in 1732. It was promptly translated into English by Aaron Hill under the title Zara: A Tragedy, and became a big hit on the London stage. In the play, Zara is a Christian woman brought up in the household of the Sultan of Jerusalem. The pair agree to marry, but her brother interceeds (horrified that Zara will marry a Muslim) with tragic consequences. The interplay between Christian and Muslim characters and use of Fatima as the name of Zara's friend is telling — again indicating that the Arabic Zahra was the inspiration for the name. The play also inspired two operas: Zaira (1797) by Nasolini and Zaira (1829) by Bellini.  Zara from that point on became a favourite name for tales of beautiful Persian or Arabic noble women. One such story, Zara; Or Royal Justice, a Tale appeared in the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette in August 1762 in which Zara, the lovely daughter of the Sultan's former vizir Giafar, impresses the Sultan with her kindness and intelligence and is aided in getting her long lost love back. "Zara was fairer than words can express, and had more Graces than the Daughters of Paradise." In the early 20th century, the British press were all a flutter over a new play by Sir Arthur Somervell called Princess Zara, an operetta with all the hallmarks of an Edwardian equivalent of a Disney princess film. In this tale, Zara is the princess of a mythical land, in love with Prince Florizel. Her mother, Queen Buonocora, decides to hand over the crown to Princess Zara, just as the witches cast a wicked spell. Zara starts to believe that her friends are enemies and orders the prince and her mother to be executed. Fortunately, all is saved by the Buttlefly Fairies who lift the spell just in the knick of time. In terms of actual usage in the 19th century, Zara was never especially popular but it was used consistently, averaging around 3 birth registrations per year in England and Wales. It gradually picked up a little usage in the 1920s and by the late 1970s it was averaging around 50 birth registrations per year.  In May 1981, Anne, the Princess Royal named her daughter Zara Anne Elizabeth, and the impact of the "royal baby name" effect can certainly be seen in that year:  Jan-Mar: 6 registrations Apr-Jun: 15 registrations (including Zara herself) Jul-Sep: 47 registrations  Oct-Dec: 48 registrations The name has gone from strength to strength since. In 1996 the name ranked #168 (265 births); it was #113 (436 births) in 2000 and finally broke the Top 100 in 2002 (rank #100, 456 births). From that point it increased in use every year until it hit a peak in 2008 at #71 (938 births). In 2011 the name ranked #73 with 790 births. In Scotland in 2005, Zara ranked #95 (52 births); it was #49 in 2008 (117 births), #69 in 2010 (79 births) and #57 (86 births) in 2012.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Zahra Khanoum Tadj es-Saltaneh (1883—1936), a Persian princess who advocated freedom for women. * Zara Cully (1892—1978), American actress. * Zarah Leander (1907—1981), Swedish actress and singer. * Dame Zara Bate (formerly Holt) (1923—2001), Australian fashion designer and community worker. Contemporary: * Zara Phillips (b.1981), Olympian equestrian; daughter of the Princess Royal.  Other: Zara is a clothing retailer.

Variants:

Zahra, Zarah

Pronunciation:

ZAR-ə [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Zari, Zaza, Zazu, Zazi

Sibling Names:

Isabel     Thea     Eloise     Lilia     India      Eve    Max     Damon     Joel      Rex     Blake     Xander

Name Lists:

Operatic Appellations

 

If you like Zara you may also like:   Thalia, Elodie, Zoe, Atarah, Aria, Lyra, Xanthe, Katia, Alexa, Yasmin

 

Thanks to T's Mummy for requesting Zara.