Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Sara

Sara is a Greek variant of the Hebrew (and more traditional English) spelling of the name Sarah. Sarah originated as a biblical name, borne in the Book of Genesis as Abraham’s wife and Isaac’s mother (the ultimate matriarch of the children of Israel). In Genesis 17:15, God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.” The name “Sarai” possibly comes from the Hebrew word for ‘contentious.’ By changing her name to “Sarah”, God is essentially bestowing blessings upon her as ‘princess.’ In Hebrew, the name Sarah indicates a woman of high rank. The name was taken up by the French in the Middle Ages and by the 17th century, Sarah was one of the most popular names in England. The spelling of Sara (with the dropped “h”) seems to be the preferred spelling in certain European countries (such as Italy, Sweden, Norway and Portugal). In English-speaking countries, Sara is used heavily as well.

All About the Baby Name – Sara

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME SARA

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME SARA

While not as popular as Sarah, the spelling Sara is still quite common in the United States. It just comes down to a matter of preference in terms of spelling. The more simple variation Sara (without the “h”) has always maintained a high ranking on the charts in her own right even if Sarah is typically 50-100 positions ahead of her. Sara was a Top 100 name from 1973 up until very recently (2009) when she fell off the list of 100 most common girl’s names. The height of the name’s popularity was during the mid-1970s up through the 1980s, but has never maintained the same level of usage as Sarah. Sara is still a top 50 favorite in New York and New Jersey, likely influenced by the high concentration of Jewish people in those two states (Sarah with an “h” is also ranked extremely high in that area of the country). Sara(h) is a beautiful, Biblical name with a modern, contemporary feel. A true ancient classic. As we said before, it just comes down to preference. Sara is simpler and less ornate than Sarah. Sara is more modern and less ancient than Sarah. But whether you name your baby girl Sarah or Sara, she’s still your little “princess.”

Quick Facts

ON SARA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Greek

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

154

PRONUNCIATION:

SAYR-a

SIMPLE MEANING:

Princess

Characteristics

OF SARA

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Sara

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME SARA

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Sara

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME SARA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Sara


Popular Songs

ON SARA

Sara Lee
a song by Foghat

Sara, Poor Sara
a song by This Day and Age

Sara's Song
a song by Ludo

Sara Smile
a song by Joan Osborne

Sara Doesn't Like Me
a song by the Nobodys

Sara
a song by John Anderson

Predictably Sulking Sara
a song by Of Montreal

Little Sara/Jessie's Jig
a song by Rawlins Cross

Che Sara
a song by Patrizio Buanne

Famous People

NAMED SARA

Sara Gilbert (actress)
Sara Teasdale (poet)
Sara Baker (writer)
Sara Evans (musician)
Sara Foster (model/actress)
Sara Leib (jazz artist)
Sara Mathew (businesswoman)
Sara Bareilles (musician)
Sara Underwood (model)

Children of Famous People

NAMED SARA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Sara

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME SARA

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Sara