Girl name
Zehra name meaning
“radiant woman; shining one”
Zehra means a radiant woman or shining one. It comes from Arabic zahrāʾ, the feminine form of azhar, expressing brightness, and is used as a feminine name in Türkiye. A historical association is the epithet given to Fatima. Its Arabic source differs from zahra, the word meaning a flower.
- Gender
- ♀ Girl
- Origin
- Arabic
- Syllables
- 2
- Popularity
- In TÜİK lists
What does Zehra mean?
Radiant woman; shining one
In Turkish: parlak, ışıldayan kadın
Zehra carries an image of radiance and brightness. Its historical connection with Fatima's epithet al-Zahra explains the compound Fatma Zehra. Although related through its Arabic root to flower vocabulary, the name directly represents a feminine adjective of brightness rather than the noun flower.
The ending “-ra” is a shared final sound rather than a meaningful suffix in Zehra, Azra and Esra. Their meanings come from the whole name, not the final two letters. More girl names ending in -ra →
How popular is Zehra?
Official figures: TÜİK newborn name lists (2018–2025, the top 30 for Türkiye and each of the 81 provinces every year) and the most common names in the population.
- Best rank
- 9.2018
- Trend (2018–2025)
- last listed in 2023
- Province lists
- 79provinces
- Girls named Zehra in Türkiye (2025)
- 268,716
Babies named Zehra each year
Show as a table
| Year | Girls | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Babies | |
| 2018 | 9 | 4,616 |
| 2019 | 15 | 3,708 |
| 2020 | 15 | 3,172 |
| 2021 | 19 | 2,924 |
| 2022 | 20 | 2,671 |
| 2023 | 26 | 2,304 |
| 2024 | – | – |
| 2025 | – | – |
In the missing years the name was outside the national top 30.
Where is Zehra in the top 30?
79 provinces · the latest year each province listed it
Double names with Zehra
Double names counted as one name in TÜİK newborn lists (all years and provinces combined).
Source: TurkStat (TÜİK), Address-Based Population Registration System. The lists cover the top 30 names per year, sex and province; no official counts are published for less common names. All statistics →
Why is Zehra popular?
Zehra pairs a bright, radiant meaning with a short, flowing sound. Its movement down the rankings, followed by years outside the top thirty, shows declining use.
Origin of the name Zehra
Zehra derives from Arabic zahrāʾ, the feminine of azhar, meaning radiant or bright. It is distinct from zahra, the word for a flower.
Names are shared across communities. Where a name is common says nothing certain about any one person’s background, faith or origin.
Double names with Zehra
Double-name ideas built from names in our dictionary, with the meaning of each name.
-
Zehra Firdevs
Meaning of each name
- Zehra: radiant woman; shining one
- Firdevs: paradise; a heavenly garden
-
Nursena Zehra
Meaning of each name
- Nursena: name combining light and praise
- Zehra: radiant woman; shining one
-
Zehra Berranur
Meaning of each name
- Zehra: radiant woman; shining one
- Berranur: goodness and light
-
Havvanur Zehra
Meaning of each name
- Havvanur: Havva combined with light
- Zehra: radiant woman; shining one
-
Zehra Nursena
Meaning of each name
- Zehra: radiant woman; shining one
- Nursena: name combining light and praise
-
Aslınur Zehra
Meaning of each name
- Aslınur: essence and light
- Zehra: radiant woman; shining one
Double names found in TÜİK’s newborn lists: Fatma Zehra, Fatıma Zehra, Zehra Nur, Zehra Betül, Elif Zehra, Fatime Zehra.
How to pronounce Zehra
| Syllables | 2 · 5 letters · 5-letter girl names |
|---|---|
| IPA | /zehɾa/ |
| Ottoman Turkish | زهرا |
| Arabic | زهراء |
Is Zehra a girl’s name?
Yes, Zehra is used mostly as a girl’s name. See all girl names.
Zehra appears in TÜİK’s most-used name lists. See the statistics section above (Source: TurkStat, ADNKS).
Spellings and similar names
Names that sound like Zehra
Names with related meanings
- Güneş♀The sun
- Hiranur♀A combination of Hira and light
- Nisanur♀Light of women
- Aysel♀Moon-bright
- Aynur♀Moonlight
- Beyza♀White, fair and bright
- İkranur♀A name combining the command 'read' with light
- Parla♀Shine
- Elanur♀Compound evoking hazel colour and light
- Esmanur♀A combination of Esma and light
- Aylin♀A halo of light around the moon
- Ayla♀The luminous ring around the moon
Famous people named Zehra
- Zehra Güneş · b. 1999
- Zehra Doğan · b. 1989
- Zehra Çırak · b. 1960
- Zehra Sayers · b. 1953
- Zehra Say · b. 1906
- Zehra Topel · b. 1987
- Zehra Öktem · b. 1959
- Zehra Bilir · b. 1913
- Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk · b. 1979
- Zehra Aylin · b. 1912
- Zehra Bilgin · b. 2002
- Zehra Borazancı · b. 1989
FAQ about the name Zehra
What is the meaning of Zehra?
Zehra means “radiant woman; shining one”. Zehra derives from Arabic zahrāʾ, the feminine of azhar, meaning radiant or bright. It is distinct from zahra, the word for a flower.
Is Zehra a girl’s name?
Yes, Zehra is used mostly as a girl’s name.
Is Zehra in the Quran?
No. Neither the name Zehra nor its source word occurs in the Quran.
What is the origin of the name Zehra?
Zehra is of Arabic origin.
How many syllables does Zehra have?
Zehra has 2 syllables and 5 letters.
How popular is the name Zehra?
Zehra appears in TÜİK’s most-used name lists. See the statistics section above (Source: TurkStat, ADNKS).
What names go well with Zehra?
Some ideas: Zehra Firdevs; Nursena Zehra; Zehra Berranur.
Famous people named Zehra?
Notable people named Zehra include Zehra Güneş, Zehra Doğan, Zehra Çırak.
Sources and method
Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.
Entry ID: nm00025 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake