Zahra Name Meaning

In al-Sihah, a man is azhar, white and bright of face, and a woman is zahra.

Root: زهر
Name: Girl's name
Also written: Zahraa · Zehra · زهراء

The story of the name, from the sources

In Maqayis al-Lugha, Ibn Faris says the root za-ha-ra has one meaning: beauty, light and clarity. From it come zahr, the blossom of every plant; al-zuhara, the star; and al-azhar, the moon.
“a single root meaning beauty, light and clarity”
zahr: the blossom of every plant · al-zuhara: the star “al-azhar: the moon”
Ibn Faris
Maqayis al-Lugha · vol. 3, p. 31
Al-Jawhari's al-Sihah says: a man is azhar, white and bright of face, and a woman is zahra. And in al-Qamus al-Muhit, al-zahra is the woman whose face shines.
“a man is azhar, white and bright of face, and a woman is zahra”
“al-zahra: … the woman whose face shines”
al-Sihah · vol. 2, pp. 674–675 · al-Qamus al-Muhit · vol. 1, p. 403
Lisan al-Arab holds a surprise: the suras al-Baqara and Al Imran are the two zahras, the two that shine and give light; each of them is a zahra. In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: recite the two zahras, al-Baqara and Surat Al Imran.
الزَّهْراوان
“the two that shine and give light; each of them is a zahra”
“Recite the two zahras: al-Baqara and Surat Al Imran”
Lisan al-Arab · vol. 4, pp. 331–333 · Sahih Muslim 804
Then al-Zahra became a title and a city. Ibn Hajar writes of Fatima, daughter of the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, may God be pleased with her: she was given the title al-Zahra. And Taj al-Arus names al-Zahra, a city in al-Andalus near Cordoba, built by al-Nasir, one of the most wondrous of cities.
A title: “she was given the title al-Zahra” · Fatima, daughter of the Messenger ﷺ
al-Zahra
“in al-Andalus, near Cordoba, one of the most wondrous of cities”
Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba · vol. 8, p. 262 · Taj al-Arus · vol. 11, pp. 473–483

In short

زَهْرَاء

the woman whose face shines, the feminine of al-azhar, the moon, and the word for two suras full of light

زَهْرَاء

A keepsake of the name Zahra

A printable piece: Zahra in Arabic calligraphy, its root, and the dictionary line it comes from, with the book, volume and page.

Questions about the name Zahra

What does the name Zahra mean?

Ibn Faris gives the root as beauty, light and clarity; in al-Sihah a man is azhar, white and bright of face, and a woman is zahra. In the film: al-Baqara and Al Imran called “the two that shine” (Sahih Muslim 804), Fatima's title al-Zahra, and Madinat al-Zahra in al-Andalus.

How do you write Zahra in Arabic?

Zahra is written زهراء in Arabic; also spelled Zahraa, Zehra.

What is the root of the name Zahra?

In the Arabic dictionaries, Zahra goes back to the root ز · ه · ر.

How we researched it

18 books searched · 45 passages read

Maqayis al-Lugha
al-Sihah
al-Qamus al-Muhit
Lisan al-Arab
Sahih Muslim
al-Isaba
Taj al-Arus

References, by volume and page

Maqayis al-Lugha · vol. 3, p. 31
al-Sihah · vol. 2, pp. 674–675 · al-Qamus al-Muhit · vol. 1, p. 403
Lisan al-Arab · vol. 4, pp. 331–333 · Sahih Muslim 804
Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba · vol. 8, p. 262 · Taj al-Arus · vol. 11, pp. 473–483

We never write “personality traits” of a name, luck or numerology: the dictionaries say nothing of the kind. We give the meaning as the book gives it, and name the book, volume and page.