SARAH

• Gender: Feminine
• Usage: English, French, German, Hebrew, Arabic, Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
• Other Scripts: שָׂרָה (Hebrew), سارة (Arabic)
• Pronounced: SER-ə (English), SAR-ə (English), SA-RA (French), ZA-ra (German), SA:-ra (Arabic)

Meaning and History

Means “lady, princess, noblewoman” in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of Abraham’s wife, considered the matriarch of the Jewish people. She was barren until she unexpectedly became the pregnant with Isaac at the age of 90. Her name was originally Sarai, but God changed it at the same time Abraham’s name was changed (see Genesis 17:15).In England, Sarah came into use after the Protestant Reformation. A notable bearer was Sarah Churchill (1660-1744), an influential British duchess and a close friend of Queen Anne.

Related Names

Variantes: Sara, Sera (English), Sara (French), Sara (German), Sara (Arabic)
Diminutives: Sadie, Sal, Sallie, Sally, Sarina (English), Sarit (Hebrew)
Other Languages/Cultures: Sarra (Biblical Greek), Sarra (Biblical Latin), Sara (Bosnian), Sara (Catalan), Sara (Croatian), Sára (Czech), Sara (Danish), Sara, Sarina (Dutch), Saara, Sari, Saija, Salli, Sara (Finnish), Sara (Greek), Kala (Hawaiian), Sára, Sári, Sárika (Hungarian), Sara (Icelandic), Sara (Italian), Sara (Macedonian), Sara (Norwegian), Sara (Persian), Sara (Polish), Sara (Portuguese), Sara (Serbian), Sára (Slovak), Sara (Slovene), Sara, Sarita (Spanish), Sara, Sassa (Swedish), Suri, Tzeitel (Yiddish)

JANE

• Gender: Feminine
• Usage: English
• Pronounced: JAYN

Meaning and History

Medieval English form of Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of Iohannes (see JOHN). This became the most common feminine form of John in the 17th century, surpassing Joan.

Famous bearers include the uncrowned English queen Lady Jane Grey (1536-1554), who ruled for only 9 days, the British novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817), who wrote ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’, and the British primatologist Jane Goodall (1934-). This is also the name of the central character in Charlotte Brontë’s novel ‘Jane Eyre’ (1847), which tells of her sad childhood and her relationship with Edward Rochester.

Related Names

Variantes: Janessa, Janice, Janis, Jayne, Jean, Jeana, Jeane, Jeanna, Jeanne, Shavonne, Jayna, Shevaun, Shevon
Diminutives: Jan, Janae, Janel, Janelle, Janet, Janette, Janey, Janie, Janna, Jannette, Jaynie, Jeanie, Jeni, Jenna, Jenni, Jennie, Jenny, Janeka, Janele, Janella, Janetta, Netta
Masculine Forms: Evan, Ian, Ivan, John, Jon, Sean, Shane, Shaun, Shawn, Shayne
Other Languages/Cultures: Lashawn (African American), Jone (Basque), Joanna (Biblical), Ioanna (Biblical Greek), Iohanna (Biblical Latin), Ioana, Ivana, Yana, Yanka, Yoana (Bulgarian), Joana, Jana (Catalan), Ghjuvanna (Corsican), Ivana (Croatian), Ivana, Jana, Johana, Janička (Czech), Johanna, Johanne, Jeanette (Danish), Jana, Janna, Johanna, Janine, Janneke, Jantine, Jantje, Jeanette, Jeanine, Jeannette, Jenny (Dutch), Johanna (Estonian), Janika, Janina, Johanna, Jenna, Jenni, Jenny (Finnish), Jeanne, Johanne, Janine, Jeanette, Jeanine, Jeannette, Jeannine (French), Xoana (Galician), Jana, Janina, Johanna, Janine, Jenny (German), Gianna, Ioanna, Yanna (Greek), Johanna, Zsanett (Hungarian), Jóhanna, Jóna, Jenný (Icelandic), Chevonne, Shavonne, Shevaun, Shevon, Síne, Siobhán, Sinéad (Irish), Giovanna (Italian), Johanna (Late Roman), Janina (Lithuanian), Ivana, Jovana (Macedonian), Jehanne, Johanne (Medieval French), Johanna, Johanne, Jeanette (Norwegian), Janina, Joanna (Polish), Joana (Portuguese), Ioana (Romanian), Yana, Zhanna, Zhannochka (Russian), Giuanna (Sardinian), Jean, Seona, Seonag, Sheena, Sheona, Shona, Sìne, Jessie, Sìneag, Teasag (Scottish), Ivana, Jovana (Serbian), Ivana, Jana, Janka (Slovak), Ivana, Jana (Slovene), Juana, Jenny (Spanish), Janina, Janna, Johanna, Jannicke, Jannike, Jeanette, Jennie, Jenny (Swedish), Yana (Ukrainian), Shan, Siân, Siwan, Siana, Siani, Sioned (Welsh)