Gender: Masculine
Origin: Hebrew זְכַרְיָה
Meaning: “God remembers.”
Eng (zek-e-RIE-ah); (ZACK-e-REE)
Zachary is an English form of the Hebrew Zechariah, a theophoric name that means “God remembers; Yahweh remembers.”
The name is borne by several characters in both the Old and New Testament. In the Old Testament, it was borne by a prophet who authored the Book of Zechariah and in the New Testament, it was borne by the father of John the Baptist.
In the Qu’ran, the father of John the Baptist is viewed as a prophet and also as the protector of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The name also appears as Zacharias, a Greek rendition, in some versions of the New Testament.
In the English speaking world, the name has been in usage since Medieval times. In Eastern Europe, especially in Orthodox dominated countries, it has always been a common name.
Currently, Zachary is the 61st most popular male name in the United States, (2010). In 1994, he ranked as high as # 12.
In other countries, his popularity is as follows:
- # 51 (Australia, NSW, 2010)
- # 51 (England/Wales, 2010)
- # 55 (Canada, BC, 2010)
- # 331 (Zacharie, France, 2009)
- # 446 (France, 2009)
Other forms of the name include:
- Sagarias (Afrikaans)
- Zakariyya زكرياء (Arabic/Assyrian/Circassian/Coptic/Ethiopian/Lebanese/Syrian)
- Zacharij/Zachari Захари (Bulgarian)
- Zacaries (Catalan)
- Zekarija Закария (Chechen/Kazakh)
- Zakaria ზაქარია (Coptic/Ethiopian/Georgian/Kurdish)
- Zaharije Зaxapиje (Croatian/Serbian)
- Zachariáš (Czech/Slovak)
- Zachary (Czech/English/French/Polish)
- Zacharias (German/Scandinavian)
- Sakarias (Faroese/Norwegian/Swedish)
- Sakari (Finnish: Sakke is a diminutive form)
- Saku (Finnish)
- Zacharie (French)
- Sagaire/Sagairi (Gaelic)
- Zacharias Zαχαριας (Greek)
- Zakariás (Hungarian)
- Zakeus (Hungarian)
- Zekarja (Hungarian)
- Zaccaria (Italian)
- Zaccheo (Italian)
- Cherian (Malayalam)
- Sakaria (Malayalam)
- Scaria (Malayalam)
- Zaxaria Захарїа (Old Church Slavonic)
- Zachariasz (Polish)
- Zacarias (Portuguese)
- Zaharia (Romanian)
- Zaccaria(s) (Romansch)
- Zachar Захар (Russian)
- Sachairi (Scottish-Gaelic)
- Zacarías (Spanish)
- Zakarya (Swahili)
- Zekeriya (Turkish)
The name is also borne by several saints as well as by one Roman Catholic pope and a Coptic pope.
Zaharina Захарина is a Bulgarian feminine form and Zara is its pet form.
Other notable bearers include an 8th-century Nubian king, a 9th-century Khazar king, and American president, Zachary Taylor (1784-1850)
Sources
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The name remained common throughout Europe, and is fairly popular across the Western World till this day. It was borne by several saints and popes, including the first and only English pope, Adrian IV, as well as the only Dutch pope, Adrian VI.