| Darya | Zarina | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The sea | golden |
| Origin | persian | persian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | DAHR-yah | zah-REE-nah |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1961 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2007 (50) | 2015 (95) |
| In 2025 | 43 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Darya | Zarina |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 253 | 403 |
| 2010s | 387 | 575 |
| 2000s | 358 | 286 |
| 1990s | 198 | 178 |
| 1980s | 52 | 113 |
| 1970s | 81 | 46 |
| 1960s | 31 | 11 |
From Persian daryā meaning 'sea' or 'large body of water'. Distinct from Daria (feminine of Darius), though the two are often confused.
From Persian 'zar' (gold), meaning 'golden' or 'made of gold'. Widely used in Persian, Urdu and across South Asia. (Unrelated Slavic 'tsar/zora' associations are sometimes attached but are secondary.)
Darya is more popular than Zarina today: about 43 US babies were given the name Darya in 2025, compared with 0 named Zarina.
Darya means The sea (persian origin), while Zarina means golden (persian origin).
In US records, Darya first appears in 1961 and Zarina in 0, so Zarina has the longer recorded history.