Sarah Bernhardt
Renowned French stage and early film actress
Girl Old & New Testament Known
Sarah
lady; princess; princess of the multitude
שָׂרָה Σάρρα sa.rah
Sarah (Hebrew: שָׂרָה, sa.rah) means “lady; princess; princess of the multitude”, by traditional interpretation. It belongs to one woman who carries two names in the text — she is also called Sarai. In 2025 it was given to 2,710 children in the United States, ranking 90. Use is falling away. Around 1,101,838 Americans have been given it since 1880. Appears with Abimelech in Genesis 20.
Merged person graphTIPNR + BibleData
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Sarah
mother of Isaac; spouse of Abraham
TIPNR + BibleDataSSA · public domain
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
Concordance Depth Index
96.4 · rank 55
US usage today
rank 90 · 2,710 births in 2025
TIPNR + BibleDataSTEPBible · CC BY
At a glance
- Verses
- 48 across 5 books
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Both
- Era
- Patriarchal
Merged person graph48 verse pairs
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Genesis 11:29 |
| Last appears | 1 Peter 3:6 |
| Two names, one person | Sarah/Sarai |
| Cross-references | 951 linked passages |
SSA · public domainibge_censoine_es_edad_mediaIRN PT
The same name elsewhere
| Country | Form | Standing | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Sarah | rank 90 · 2,710 in 2025 | Births in year |
| Brazil | SARA | 234,286 bearers · born 1930–2010 | Living residents |
| Spain | SARA | 180,010 bearers · mean age 30.3 | Living residents |
| Portugal | Sara | permitted | IRN approved list |
Two different questions are shown here. Rows marked births in year count children registered during a period; rows marked living residents count people of every age alive at a census. They answer different questions and are never added together.
SSA · public domainBirths in year
Using it today
Very unlikely to share a classroom with another.
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 2,710 | Falling |
| All-time total | 1,101,838 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 28,608 in 1982 | Its highest year on record |
| Strongest state | NY | Highest share relative to births |
Computed · A2/A3Rationale generated
Names connected to this one
- Abraham co-occurrence Appears with Abraham in Genesis 16.
- Hagar co-occurrence Appears with Hagar in Genesis 16.
- Iscah co-occurrence Appears with Iscah in Genesis 11.
- Haran co-occurrence Appears with Haran in Genesis 11.
- Abimelech co-occurrence Appears with Abimelech in Genesis 20.
- Isaac co-occurrence Appears with Isaac in Genesis 17.
- Milcah co-occurrence Appears with Milcah in Genesis 11.
- Rebekah co-occurrence Appears with Rebekah in Genesis 24.
Origin & meaning
Strong's number
H8283
Hebrew
שָׂרָה
Greek
Σάρρα
Transliteration
sa.rah
A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.29;
daughter of: Terah (H8646);
sister of: Abraham (H0085), Nahor (H5152H) and Haran (H2039); married to Abraham (H0085);
mother of: Isaac (H3327); also called Sarai at Gen.11.29,30,31; 12.5,11,17; 16.1,2,3,5,6,8; 17.15;
§ Sarah = "noblewoman"
wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac
Sarah (or Sarai) was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac, through whom God fulfilled His promise to make Abraham a great nation.
The biblical story
Sarah, initially named Sarai, was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac. She was born in Ur of the Chaldeans and married Abraham (then known as Abram) while they lived in Haran (Gen.11.29-31). Sarah accompanied Abraham when God called him to leave Haran and go to the land of Canaan (Gen.12.5). Despite God's promise that Abraham would have numerous descendants, Sarah was barren (Gen.11.30). In her impatience, she gave her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar, to Abraham as a wife to bear a child on her behalf (Gen.16.1-4). This resulted in the birth of Ishmael (Gen.16.15-16). When Abraham was 99 years old, God reaffirmed His covenant with him, changed his name from Abram to Abraham, and changed Sarai's name to Sarah (Gen.17.5, 15). God promised that Sarah would bear a son, Isaac, through whom the covenant would be established (Gen.17.19, 21; 18.10-14). Sarah initially laughed at this idea due to her advanced age (Gen.18.12-15). However, as God had promised, Sarah conceived and gave birth to Isaac when she was 90 years old (Gen.21.1-7). Sarah's faith is commended in Heb.11.11, which states that she received the ability to conceive because she considered God faithful to His promise. Sarah died at the age of 127 in Kirjath-arba (Hebron), and Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah as a burial site for her (Gen.23.1-20). Her life story demonstrates the importance of faith, patience, and trust in God's promises, even in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances.
Key verses
Sarah appears in 48 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
Genesis 11:29 -
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Genesis 11:30 -
And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
Genesis 11:31 -
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
Genesis 12:5 -
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
Genesis 12:11
Show all 48 references
Genesis (43)
- Genesis 11:29
- Genesis 11:30
- Genesis 11:31
- Genesis 12:5
- Genesis 12:11
- Genesis 12:17
- Genesis 16:1
- Genesis 16:2
- Genesis 16:3
- Genesis 16:5
- Genesis 16:6
- Genesis 16:8
- Genesis 17:15
- Genesis 17:17
- Genesis 17:19
- Genesis 17:21
- Genesis 18:6
- Genesis 18:9
- Genesis 18:10
- Genesis 18:11
- Genesis 18:12
- Genesis 18:13
- Genesis 18:14
- Genesis 18:15
- Genesis 20:2
- Genesis 20:14
- Genesis 20:16
- Genesis 20:18
- Genesis 21:1
- Genesis 21:2
- Genesis 21:3
- Genesis 21:6
- Genesis 21:7
- Genesis 21:9
- Genesis 21:12
- Genesis 23:1
- Genesis 23:2
- Genesis 23:19
- Genesis 24:36
- Genesis 24:67
- Genesis 25:10
- Genesis 25:12
- Genesis 49:31
Isaiah (1)
- Isaiah 51:2
Romans (2)
- Romans 4:19
- Romans 9:9
Hebrews (1)
- Hebrews 11:11
1 Peter (1)
- 1 Peter 3:6
Name variants & nicknames
- Sara — spelling variant (also Spanish & Portuguese)
- Sadie — nickname
- Sally — nickname
- Sarai — her earlier name (Gen 17:15)
- Zara — variant
Notable people with this name
Sarah Jessica Parker
Emmy-winning American actress (Sex and the City)
Sarah Vaughan
Grammy-winning American jazz vocalist
Sarah Palin
Former Governor of Alaska and 2008 vice-presidential candidate