Is Yara a boy or a girl name?

Yara is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 6,430 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Yara in 2023?

Yara ranks #614 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2022 with 526 babies.

How do you pronounce Yara?

Yara is pronounced YAH-rah (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Yara?

Yara is also written as Yarah, Iara.

A name from Arabic · Girl

Yara

يَارَا

"Small butterfly; beloved friend." Persian-origin name adopted into Arabic. In Brazilian/Tupi culture, Yara is also a water goddess — a surprising global convergence.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 54-year arc in numbers.

6,430 U.S. births recorded from 1969–2023.

Popularity · 1969–2023

488 births in 2023

1969 1996 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

Y"Small butterfly; beloved friend." Persian-origin name adopted into Arabic. In Brazilian/Tupi culture, Yara is also a water goddess — a surprising global convergence.

Etymology, in one line

Arabic root: Arabic via Persian — "small butterfly; beloved"

Regional variants

Actress Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish, Black-ish) gave this name a major US visibility boost. Cross-cultural: reads as Arabic, Persian, Brazilian, or Basque depending on context.

Variants & spellings

2 ways to spell "Yara".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Yarah Most common Iara

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Yara.

Y
Yara Shahidi (actress)

Quick answers

People often ask about Yara.

What does the name Yara mean?: Yara means "Small butterfly; beloved friend." Persian-origin name adopted into Arabic. In Brazilian/Tupi culture, Yara is also a water goddess — a surprising global convergence.
Where does the name Yara come from?: Yara is a girl name of Arabic origin. Actress Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish, Black-ish) gave this name a major US visibility boost.
Is Yara a boy or a girl name?: Yara is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 6,430 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Yara in 2023?: Yara ranks #614 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2022 with 526 babies.
How do you pronounce Yara?: Yara is pronounced YAH-rah (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Yara?: Yara is also written as Yarah, Iara.

Similar names

If you love Yara, also consider…

Night; dark-haired beauty

Aaliyah عَالِيَة

#12243

Girl ·Arabic

"Exalted, high, sublime

Omar عُمَر

#263

Boy ·Arabic

"Long-lived, flourishing life

Lila

#213

Girl ·Arabic

A variant of Layla, from Arabic ليلى, "night

"King, sovereign, owner

Nadia نَادِيَة

#489

Girl ·Arabic

"Announcer, caller; morning dew

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meaning and cultural context drawn from classical sources: Lisan al-Arab, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Qur'an and Sunnah. If you spot an error, please let us know.