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Zahra vs Mariam

Which is more popular?
Zahra is more popular than Mariam today: about 562 US babies were given the name Zahra in 2025, compared with 0 named Mariam.
ZahraMariam
Meaning Radiant; flower, blossom Variant of Maryam (Mary / Miriam)
Origin arabic arabic
Gender Girl Girl
Pronunciation ZAH-rah MA-ree-am
Syllables 2 3
First appeared19730
Peak year2025 (562)2024 (623)
In 20255620
TrendNear its peakSteady
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Zahra Mariam
1900192019401960198020002020

Source: US Social Security Administration.

Births by decade

DecadeZahraMariam
2020s 3,062 3,230
2010s 3,645 5,125
2000s 1,540 4,085
1990s 688 2,248
1980s 349 1,081
1970s 111 435
1960s 0 341
1950s 0 251
1940s 0 248
1930s 0 349
1920s 0 589
1910s 0 410
1900s 0 96
1890s 0 56
1880s 0 11

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.

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.

Frequently asked questions

Is Zahra or Mariam more popular?

Zahra is more popular than Mariam today: about 562 US babies were given the name Zahra in 2025, compared with 0 named Mariam.

What is the difference between Zahra and Mariam?

Zahra means Radiant; flower, blossom (arabic origin), while Mariam means Variant of Maryam (Mary / Miriam) (arabic origin).

Which name is older, Zahra or Mariam?

In US records, Zahra first appears in 1973 and Mariam in 0, so Mariam has the longer recorded history.