Sarai
Meaning of Sarai
Sarai first stepped onto the linguistic stage in the Hebrew Scriptures as the original name of the matriarch later renamed Sarah, carrying the meaning “my princess”—a nuance that can feel either endearing or proprietary, depending on one’s mood. In modern American nurseries the name occupies a quiet middle lane: since the early 2000s it has cruised between ranks 370 and 420, yielding roughly 650–750 newborns a year—enough for recognition, rarely for duplication. That consistency signals a choice that is distinctive without being obscure, a sweet spot much prized by data-minded parents. Cultural references pop up intermittently—an indie song here, a faith-based novel there—but the biblical lineage remains the primary calling card, giving Sarai a measured gravitas. Pronounced suh-RYE, it offers an elegant two-syllable alternative to the ubiquitous Sarah, retaining the same ancestral roots while adding a dash of difference. All told, Sarai stands as a name that feels familiar yet fresh, traditional with just a hint of contrarian flair.
Pronunciation
Hebrew
- Pronunced as suh-RYE (/səˈraɪ/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Sarai
| Sarai Isaura Gonzalez is an American Latina child actress and writer who rose to fame at 11 in the Soy Yo video by Bomba Estereo, became a symbol of empowerment, joined 2016 Latino voter outreach, and later coauthored a chapter book series for children. |
| Sarai Walker is a writer and fat positive activist, author of Dietland, a 2015 Entertainment Weekly top ten book adapted for TV, with bylines in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Refinery29. |
| Sarai Givaty Luboschits is an Israeli actress, singer songwriter, and model who performs under the stage name ESH. |
