Zarrah
An Arabic name meaning "noble" or "brilliant".
Name Census estimates that about 155 living Americans carry the first name Zarrah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zarrah today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zarrah births was 2018 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zarrah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Zarrah with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
155
~ 1 in 2,211,318 Americans
Peak year
2018
15 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,100
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Zarrah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zarrah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 98 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zarrah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zarrah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Zarrah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zarrah
The name Zarrah has its origins in the Persian language and culture, tracing back to ancient times. It is derived from the Persian word "zar," which means "gold" or "golden." The name is believed to have been first used in regions of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Zarrah can be found in the Shahnameh, the epic Persian poem written by Ferdowsi in the late 10th century. In this literary work, Zarrah is mentioned as a character, although details about their significance are scarce.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Zarrah. One of the earliest was Zarrah al-Dimashqi, an Arab physician and philosopher who lived in the 9th century. He is known for his contributions to the fields of medicine and natural sciences during the Islamic Golden Age.
Another prominent figure was Zarrah Khan, a powerful military leader and governor who lived in the 16th century during the Mughal Empire. He played a crucial role in the expansion of the empire's territories and served under the reign of Emperor Akbar.
In the 17th century, Zarrah Begum was a prominent figure in the Mughal court. She was the daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan and is remembered for her involvement in the construction of the iconic Taj Mahal, one of the most celebrated architectural marvels in the world.
Moving forward in time, Zarrah Ghaffari was an Afghan politician and women's rights activist who lived in the 20th century. She was a vocal advocate for women's education and empowerment, and her efforts helped pave the way for greater gender equality in Afghanistan.
Lastly, Zarrah Yaghmai was an accomplished Afghan poet and writer who gained recognition for her literary works in the 20th century. Her poetry often explored themes of love, social justice, and the struggle for independence in her homeland.
While the name Zarrah has its roots in ancient Persian culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and found its place in various parts of the world, carried by individuals who have left their mark on history through their contributions and achievements.
People
Zarrah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zarrah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zarrah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zarrah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 155 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zarrah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,211,318 US residents.
Is Zarrah a common name?
We classify Zarrah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 156 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zarrah most popular?
The single biggest year for Zarrah was 2018, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zarrah is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Zarrah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zarrah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zarrah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Zarrah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zarrah in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Zarrah can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Zarrah?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.