What does Mariam mean?
Mariam (مريم) is a widely used transliteration of the same Arabic name as Maryam, the form of biblical Mary/Miriam honoured in Islam as the mother of the prophet 'Isa. It carries the identical etymology (ultimately the Hebrew Miryam, meaning disputed); the spelling simply reflects regional pronunciation and romanisation preferences.
What does Zahra mean?
Zahra draws on the Arabic root z-h-r, giving both 'flower, blossom' (زهرة, zahra) and 'radiant, luminous, bright' (زهراء, zahra'). Al-Zahra' ('the Radiant') is a traditional epithet of Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, which adds to the name's devotional resonance.