Sarah

What does Sarah mean?

Sarah means ‘princess’ or ‘lady’ in Biblical Hebrew. Wiktionary records the noun, the given name and the biblical matriarch, with ‘noblewoman’ a close rendering of the same royal vocabulary. The name also appears in Arabic-influenced use as Sara. Its Hebrew meaning and scriptural identity are documented, while its forms and pronunciation vary across languages and religious communities. The h in the Roman spelling does not determine the intended language.

Source: Wiktionary, שרה. How we use sources.

Spelling and pronunciation

שָׂרָה has a Hebrew reading with emphasis on the second syllable. सारा is read saa-raa, with two long vowels, while English often uses sair-a. Sara is another Roman spelling. A pronunciation cue can therefore be useful even for this familiar name.

Also spelled Sara.

Sarah in tradition and story

Sarah is Abraham's wife and Isaac's mother in Genesis, where she is renamed from Sarai. She is honored in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition, including as the wife of Ibrahim in Islamic accounts.