Zahra (name)

The female given name, spelled Zahra in English (Latin) script, is a common name corresponding to three different—though related—meanings depending on the languages of the countries where the name is popular.

  • Arabic: زهراء‎ Zahraʾ, meaning beautiful, bright, shining and brilliant. Of note, the main reason for its fame can be related to the fame of Fatimah-Zahra as Prophet Muhammad's daughter.[1]
  • Egyptian Arabic: زهرة Zahrah, meaning flower, blossom, or beauty. It may be related to the matriarch of the Abrahamic faiths, Sarah.[2][3]
  • Persian: زهرا‎ Zahra, is a further spelling variant, meaning sparklingly bright and beautiful.
Zahra
Genderfemale
Origin
Word/nameArabic
Meaningbeautiful/Flower
Other names
Related namesZahrah, Sahra

The Ottoman empire expanded the use of this name to countries like Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia and the name was also popularized by the Persian empire's influence in the Indian subcontinent, respectively. Zahra is also used as a surname, particularly in Malta.

The names are difficult to distinguish in transliteration, and may be transliterated in various ways, such as Zehra, Zahra(h), Zara, and Zohre

The names may apply to the following:

Female given name

Sahra

Zahra

Zehra

Zohra

Zohre

Zuhra

Part of the female given name Fatimah Zahra
Arabic calligraphy reading Fatimah az-Zahra.

Fatimah was the daughter of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and is greatly revered by Muslims, often under the extended name Fatimah az-Zahra' , الزهراء فاطمة, or Fatimah Zahra' , فاطمة زهراء. This has then been used as a female given name as follows.

  • Fatima Al Zahraa Haider (born ca. 1910), an Egyptian princess
  • Lalla Fatima Zohra (born 1929), Moroccan princess
  • Fatima-Zohra Imalayen, known as Assia Djebar (born 1936), Algerian novelist, translator and filmmaker
  • Fatima Zohra Karadja (born 1949), Algerian, Vice-President for the African Union's Economic, Social and Cultural Council for Northern Africa
  • Fatma-Zohra Oukazi (born 1984), Algerian volleyball player
  • Fatima Zohra Cherif (born 1986), Algerian volleyball player
  • Fatima Zahra Djouad (born 1988), Algerian volleyball player

Male given name

Surname

See also
  • Abdul Zahra, Arabic male name
  • Sarah (given name), female given name
  • Zara (given name), female given name
  • Zerah, male given name occurring in the Hebrew Bible
  • Zuhra (الزُهرة), the Arabic word for Venus

References
  1. What is the secret of Fatimah al-Zahra's names? www.farsnews.com
  2. Salahuddin Ahmed (1999). A Dictionary of Muslim Names. London: Hurst & Company.
  3. S. A. Rahman (2001). A Dictionary of Muslim Names. New Delhi: Goodword Books.
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