Share Info, Save Names, Get our Newsletter and Access Powerful Tools
Sign Up Now or Click Here to Find Out More

Sarah

Pronunciation: SAY-rah, SA-rə (key)

Origin of the name Sarah:

Derived from the Hebrew sārāh (princess). The name is borne in the Bible by the wife of the patriarch Abraham and mother of Isaac.

From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman. Buy the book

Does Sarah sound...

No Way
Definitely
No Way
Definitely
No Way
Definitely
No Way
Definitely
No Way
Definitely
No Way
Definitely
No Way
Definitely
View all ratings

Sibling Names for Sarah...

Do you know any real life Sarahs?
What are their siblings named?

Reader Contributions

Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Sarah!

Comments and insights on the name Sarah: | Edit

My name is Sarah and I agree the H is very important to Sarah's; in meeting other Sara's I find it is equally important to them that their name be spelled without the "H" and they feel it is better that way! Ha. Love it when my family calls me "Sari" ( Sar"ee")
Feminine name, love that it means princess. I don't run across *too* many Sarah's. I used to feel the name was too common, but it could be worse; my name could be Ashley or Jessica

I do not agree that Sayruh is a legit pronunciation.

I do-- in other countries.

My grandmother pronounced my name "Sayruh", it reminds me of her when people say it like that.

"Sayruh" is a southern way to pronounce Sarah.

My name is Sarah and I love my H. It looks so much better spelled that way, IMO.
Sarah, sounds soft and gentle with an "h" seems more sophisticated

I agree, Sara looks really weird

A British woman named Sarah told me that without the "h," Sara would be pronounced "Sahra" in England.

Personal experiences with the name Sarah: | Edit

We named our daughter Sarah in honor or my grandmother Sara. We chose the more Biblical spelling because we thought it would be more intuitive, but everyone asks how to spell it!
I also love that it means Princess!
When I say my name is "Sarah with an H" people think I mean Sahra!?! How weird is that?
I've been stuck in a class with three other Sara(h)s before. It's not great having a popular name, but I've finally gotten used to it.

I changed my name legally to Sarah from Sally at the age of 38, and I am really pleased I did. I think Sarah is a lovely but unpretentious name, and I feel very comfortable with it.

My mother named me Sarah after "Sarah, Plain and Tall." I used to think it was too plain, but I like it now. Recently I was in a community theatre show with two other people with my name, but we all spelled it differently. We were "Sarah," "Sara," and "Sarrah." My brother sometimes shortens my name to "Sayr" but I hate it when he does that.

I'm 14 and my name (as well as my best friends name) is Sarah. When I was younger I hated it because I thought it was common and boring but now I love it! It's feminine,cute, and classy. My mom calls me Sarah-Bear and my friend Caroline and I call each other Sarr-Bear and Carr-Bear. It means "princess, which I loved when I was little.

Nicknames for Sarah: | Edit

Sally, Sadie, Sal, Sai, Sare, Sasa, Sassy, Sarie, Sa, Sar, Sarah Bean, Bean, Sar Bear, Sissy, Sarar, Ra/Rah, Sari
Sazza, Shazza
Sare Bear, Bear

Meanings and history of the name Sarah: | Edit

Sarah: Princess. Biblical.
Sarah, mother of all nations

Famous real-life people named Sarah: | Edit

Sarah Beenie, British TV presenter
Sarah Bernhardt, French stage actress
Sarah Brightman, British singer and actress
Sarah Chalke, Canadian-American television actress
Sarah "Sadie" Delaney, American civil rights activist and author
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, British socialite
Sarah Michelle Gellar, American actress
Sarah Josepha Hale, American author
Sarah Hughes, American Olympic ice-skater
Sarah McLachlan, Canadian singer-songwriter
Sarah Miles, British actress
Sarah Murdoch, Australian Model, wife of Lauchlin Murdoch (son of Rupert Murdoch)
Sarah Palin, American vice-presidential candidate and governor of Alaska
Sarah Jessica Parker, American actress
Sarah Childress Polk, First Lady and wife of James Polk
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress
Sarah Purser, Irish artist
Sarah Vaughan, American jazz singer
Sarah Rees Brennan, Irish author
Sarah Drew, American actress
Sarah Hyland, actress
Sarah Margaret Qualley, daughter of actress Andie MacDowell

Sarah in song, story & screen: | Edit

Sarah Connor, a character in the Terminator franchise, portayed in James Cameron's films by Linda Hamilton and by Lena Headey in the Fox television adaptation
Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie, a lead character on American television drama J.A.G.
Sarah Jane Smith, a lead character on British television series Doctor Who and later the spinoff series, "The Sarah Jane Adventures"
Sarah Witting, the title character of Patricia McLachlan's 1986 children's book Sarah, Plain and Tall, and the 1994 sequel Skylark
"Sarah", song by Jefferson Starship
"Sarah Smiles", song by Panic! at the Disco
"Sarah, Sarah", song by Jonathan Butler
"Sarah", song by Thin Lizzy
"Sarah", song by Eskimo Joe
"What Sarah Said", song by Death Cab for Cutie
Sarah Woodruff, heroine of John Fowles' novel "The French Lieutenant's Woman" and the subsequent film starring Meryl Streep in the title role.
Sarah Connolly Sugden, character in British TV soap opera "Emmerdale", played by Madeleine Howard (1988-1994) & Alyson Spiro (1994-2000).
"Sara Smile", song by Hall and Oats
Sarah, from A Little Princess
Sarah Lewis, in the 1999 film "Forces of Nature"

Browse Girls' Names

Browse Boys' Names