Sarah (female name)

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Sarah
Given Name
Gender Female
Meaning "Princess", "Princess of the multitudes"
Origin Persian
Related names Sara
Wikipedia articles All pages beginning with Sarah
Look up Sarah in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Sarah (also Sara) is a female name that has been used throughout history in numerous cultures and parts of the world. It can be found as a name in several languages including Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Urdu Greek, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English, Slovenian, and Serbian. It has historically been a popular name, and remains so today.

Contents

[edit] Origins

Sarah is a Biblical name, referring to a woman mentioned in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament. After fleeing the town of Haran where she lived, the woman who was then known as Sarai, along with her husband Abram, fled to Egypt where they were then cast out by the Pharaoh. God came to Sarai and Abram, telling them that they would be the creators of the Promised Land of Israel. He then told them that from that day forth they would be known as Sarah and Abraham. It should be pointed out that while most name books list the meaning of Sarah as "princess", sometimes translated as Goddess, the literal translation[citation needed] of the name is "princess of all". Sarah's previous name of Sarai means simply "princess".

[edit] Historical usage

With the spread of Christianity to Europe, the name became part of the vernacular of several European languages. Famous bearers of the name throughout history include Saint Sarah, patron saint of Gypsies, the 1st Duchess of Marlborough, 19th century actress and courtesan Sarah Bernhardt, and 19th century American writer Sarah Josepha Hale.

[edit] Modern usage and popularity

Sarah has been a popular female name for centuries, particularly in Britain. In the United States, it proved to be immensely popular in the latter part of the 20th century. The spelling Sara is estimated to be used once for every five times the Sarah spelling is used. Though still popular, the name's usage in America has fallen dramatically in recent years. Contemporary Sarahs include the Duchess of York, singer Sarah Brightman, and actresses Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sarah Jessica Parker.

[edit] Spelled "Sara"

Sara
Given Name
Gender Female
Meaning Woman Of High Rank
Origin Persian
Related names Sarah
Wikipedia articles All pages beginning with Sara
Look up Sara in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Sometimes the spelling Sara is used in English. This form is traditionally pronounced as /sɑrɑ/ (SAR-ah), as in French and Italian and Dutch. However it is now commonly pronounced by some English-speakers just like Sarah, that is, /sɛrɑ/ (SAIR-ah). In 2005, Sara was the 76th most popular name for newborn girls in the USA, behind Sarah at 15th most popular.

[edit] Meanings

The name Sara has several meanings in different countries, including:

  • woman of high rank or princess in Hebrew (as a variant of Sarah)
  • pleasant in Arabic
  • pure and excellent in Persian

[edit] Famous Saras

[edit] English diminutives

  • Sadie
  • Sally
  • Sar (pronounced "sair")

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

[edit] References

WP Anthroponymy notice This page or section lists people with the given name Sarah or Sara. If an internal link for a specific person referred you to this page, you may wish to add the surname to that link.