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