zahar

Zahar is a masculine given name used in various Slavic-speaking regions and among diaspora communities. It can also be encountered as a surname in some families. The spelling Zahar is one transliteration among others, including Zakhar and Zachar, reflecting different language traditions and transliteration systems.

The name Zahar is the Slavic form of Zachary, which derives from the Hebrew name Zechariah. Zechariah is commonly understood to mean “God remembers.” In Cyrillic writing, the given name is typically Захар, pronounced with a hard zh sound, and it is rendered in Latin script in several forms depending on language and country.

Usage and distribution: Zahar is found in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other parts of Eastern Europe, where it appears in both historical and contemporary contexts. As with many traditional names, it is used across religious and secular settings. In modern literature and public life, individuals with the related forms Zakhar or Zahar have contributed to various fields.

Notable people: One well-known bearer of a closely related form is Zakhar Prilepin (born 1975), a Russian writer and political commentator. His work has brought attention to the name in contemporary Slavic-language literary circles. Other individuals may use Zahar as a surname or a different transliteration of the same underlying name.

See also: Zachary, Zakhar, and other transliteration variants of the same name. The name’s meaning and historical roots connect across cultures that honor the idea of remembering or divine remembrance.