girl's name
Sara
SAR-a
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 505,311
the United States
#198
2025 births
Sara is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "princess" or "noblewoman." It is the spelling used across the Arabic-speaking world, southern Europe and Scandinavia, where English speakers instead write Sarah.
- Sara is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1981, when 11,391 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,114 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Sara over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,127 |
| 1890s | 3,119 |
| 1900s | 4,215 |
| 1910s | 15,432 |
| 1920s | 21,165 |
| 1930s | 18,366 |
| 1940s | 20,335 |
| 1950s | 20,526 |
| 1960s | 23,105 |
| 1970s | 57,160 |
| 1980s | 105,120 |
| 1990s | 72,320 |
| 2000s | 44,138 |
| 2010s | 20,744 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 9,569 |
What Sara means
Sara means princess, lady or noblewoman, from the Hebrew sarah. The root carries the sense of ruling or holding authority, not merely rank by birth.
Where Sara comes from
Sara comes from the Hebrew Sarah, from a root meaning to rule. Genesis records a change from Sarai to Sarah at the same covenant that renames Abraham, and later tradition reads Sarai as my princess and Sarah as princess for all. The h-less Sara is the standard form in Arabic, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish and Finnish, and it is the form used throughout the Quran's commentary tradition for the wife of Ibrahim. That double heritage means Sara is one of the few names equally at home in Muslim, Jewish and Christian families.
Sara in use
Our data shows Sara peaking in 1981 and now falling, at 110 in England and Wales — a different trajectory from most names in this group, which are rising. Sarah, the English spelling, peaked and fell earlier still. Together they are among the most-used girls' names of the twentieth century.
How popular is Sara?
In 2025, Sara was given to 1,568 babies in the United States, ranking #198 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Sara is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Sara is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Sâra | Sâra is a rare spelling of Sara, written with a circumflex and recorded about 15 times, mostly in France. | 15 |
Names that peaked alongside Sara
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Sara also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Sara over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Sara
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Sara in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Sara
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Sara — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Sara
What does the name Sara mean?
Sara means "princess" or "noblewoman," from the Hebrew sarah, from a root meaning to rule.
What is the difference between Sara and Sarah?
Only spelling. Sara is standard in Arabic, Italian, Spanish and Scandinavian use; Sarah is the English form.
Is Sara used by Muslim families?
Widely. Sara is the wife of Ibrahim in Islamic tradition, so the name is shared across Muslim, Jewish and Christian families.
How popular is the name Sara?
In 2025, Sara was given to 1,568 babies in the United States, ranking #198 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Sara a girl's or a boy's name?
Sara is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Sara?
Sara has 2 syllables.
When was Sara most popular?
Sara peaked in 1981, when 11,391 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Sara?
Sara is usually shortened to Sadie and Sassy.
Is Sara a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Sara currently ranks #110 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.