Fun Facts About the Name Zohar
- 322 babies named Zohar: U.S. records list 322 babies given the name Zohar from 1880 through 2025. Even 124 boys received the name Zohar - about 1 boy for every 2 girls.
What Does the Name Zohar Mean?
Zohar is a Hebrew name meaning splendor, radiance, or brightness. It comes from the Hebrew noun zohar (זֹהַר), built on the root ז-ה-ר (z - h - r), which carries the sense of shining, glowing, or emitting light. Related words from the same root describe light that gleams or shines out, so the core idea of the name is brightness that radiates.
The meaning is a literal one drawn from the Hebrew noun, not a later symbolic reading, though the word has also been used figuratively for spiritual or moral radiance in religious texts.
Zohar Name History & Origins
In the Hebrew Bible, zohar appears as a poetic word for brightness rather than as a personal name. In Daniel 12:3 the wise are said to shine "like the brightness (ke-zohar) of the sky," and Ezekiel 8:2 uses the word in describing a fiery radiance. These are uses of the ordinary noun.
The word became widely known as a title through Sefer ha-Zohar, the "Book of Splendor," the central work of Kabbalah. Jewish tradition attributes it to the 2nd-century sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, while scholars place its main composition in late 13th-century Castile, associated with Moses de León. The book's title is commonly connected with the image in Daniel 12:3.
As a given name, Zohar belongs to modern Hebrew and is used in Israel and among Jewish families elsewhere; the feminine form Zohara (זוֹהָרָה) is also found. The name is unrelated to Zoar (צֹעַר), the city in the story of Lot, which comes from a different root, and it should not be confused with the Arabic name Zuhair, a diminutive of a different word for blossom.
How Popular is the Name Zohar?
Zohar has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2007. Its best rank was #6,445 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,197 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #12,113 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #15,164 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #17,734 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #15,230 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #10,238 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #12,439 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #13,777 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #9,933 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #11,769 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #8,437 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2014 | #16,497 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #14,574 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #14,957 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #7,877 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2009 | #10,671 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #13,822 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #6,809 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2006 | #15,146 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #14,497 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #10,687 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #12,052 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,445 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2024 | #10,880 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #14,192 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #14,314 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #8,818 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #10,791 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #12,238 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #14,051 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #9,635 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #12,127 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #8,858 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #10,760 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #10,916 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #14,030 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2005 | #11,464 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #9,945 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #10,660 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #10,814 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Zohar Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have aspiration and inspiration, hope and guidance. Since you are intuitive and perceptive and you understand human nature. You have the power to achieve. Diplomacy and discretion make you a good mediator. You are inspired, introspective, and have a good understanding of the human heart. You can have the ability to commercialize your artistic talents successfully. You are often a mystery to others and to yourself. You are always reaching for something higher, without exactly knowing what that "higher" is. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Zohar's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Zohar's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.