The REAL (Biblical) Meaning of Sarah? - Origin, History & Stories

 

Sarah is a female name of Hebrew origin.

This biblical name means princess or noblewoman and may be traced to the Bible character who is considered to be the matriarch of the Jewish people.

Sarah is a popular name and has been among the top names for girls. Between 1987 to 2002, it ranked as a top 10 choice for baby girls in the United States.

 

If you would love to learn more about the name Sarah or need help with choosing baby names you are in the right place.

Today we will take a deep dive in the Hebrew, biblical, and spiritual meanings of this name while also tracing the biblical origin of the name and giving Bible stories and verses about Sarah.

 

What does Sarah mean in Hebrew?

 

Sarah is the feminine form of sar a word in the Hebrew language which means prince, ruler, or chief. Therefore, the name meaning of Sarah is princess, ruler, or chieftain.

 

The origins of Sarah in the Bible

 

The biblical origin of the name Sarah may be found in the book of Genesis.

According to biblical references she was the wife of Abraham, mother of Isaac, and daughter of Haran.

 

“Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah.” (Genesis 11:29 NIV)

 

An easy way to trace the biblical origin of this name is to search the scripture for the name Sarai, which was the spelling before the name change in Genesis 17:15.

 

The Biblical meaning of Sarah

 

Sarah is among feminine Christian names with positive biblical connotations.

Matriarch, transition, and blessed by the Lord are some of the meanings of the name Sarah.

 

Matriarch

Thanks to God’s promise, Sarah is considered a very important female figure. The lineage of great kings’ traces back to this matriarch.

Matriarch is a positive meaning of the name Sarah that highlights leadership qualities as well as family duties and roles.

 

Transition

The story of Sarah was a true representation of transition. She was childless then transitioned to being a mother.

For decades, conjugal was the description of her union with Abraham but in her old age this changed to a nuclear family.

Thanks to the goodness of God, Sarah transitioned from a barren woman to the mother of many nations.

This is why it's a great name to give your daughter if you have been trying for a long time to get pregnant.

Your baby girl will be a celebration of you and your spouse's transition into parenting and the start of your new family.

 

Blessed by the Lord

Having a child at age ninety is a tremendous demonstration of God's blessings and power.

 

“I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” (Genesis 17:16 NIV)

 

If you are looking for popular girl names that represent being blessed by the Lord then Sarah is a great choice.

 

The spiritual meaning of Sarah

 

The spiritual meaning of Sarah is linked to possibilities, transformation, and a future of hope.

 

Possibilities

Sarah laughed when she heard she was going to be pregnant. After she had her son, she was again filled with laughter.

 

“Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” (Genesis 21:6 NIV)

 

Naming your child Sarah will remind her in circumstances where things seem impossible, that the God she serves is all about possibilities.

 

“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 NIV)

 

Transformation

Sarah's life is a representation of transformation because she is the only woman who received a change of name from God.

 

“And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.” (Genesis 17:15 KJV)

 

The same God who changed Sarai to Sarah and transformed water into wine has the power to effect lasting change in the life of your child if she submits to Him and that's why it's a powerful first or middle name.

Another interpretation of the name Sarah is that the Lord will use her to bring about change in the lives of others.

 

Future of hope

Hagar's teasing did not make Sarah's life easy but God intervened and changed things for her.

She became pregnant past childbearing age and gave birth to the son of promise.

With the power of faith Sarah can overcome challenges and defeat her adversaries.

She can be confident despite her trials, because she knows that the Lord has promised her a future of hope.

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

 

What Bible verses contain Sarah?

 

You may consider Sarah to be an Old Testament name but there are also references of this Hebrew name in the New Testament of the Bible.

Here are some Bible verses that contain the name Sarah.

 

“But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai.” (Genesis 12:17 NIV)

 

Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” (Genesis 16:5 NIV)

 

“Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” (Genesis 18:14 NIV)

 

“Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.” (Genesis 21:2 NIV)

 

“look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many.” (Isaiah 51:2 NIV)

 

“For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. ²³ His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise. ²⁴ These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.” (Galatians 4:22-26 NIV)

 

“like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.” (1 Peter 3:6 NIV)

 

Stories about Sarah in the Bible

 

The account of Hagar teasing Sarah ((Genesis 16:1-5), Sarah telling the king of Gerar she is the half-sister of Abraham (Genesis 20), and the analogy of the slave woman and the freewoman (Galatians 4:22-26) are some interesting Bible stories about Sarah.

 

Final thought

Sarah is a feminine that stems from the Hebrew word sar.

The original meaning of the name is princess or noblewoman. It's a great choice if you need a baby name with a rich history and positive meanings.

Biblically the name means, matriarch, transition, and blessed by the Lord while the spiritual meanings point to possibilities, transformation, and a futu