Safra as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Safra

What is the meaning of the name Safra ?

The baby name Safra is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced ˈsæfrə (SAF-rah),sɑˈfrɑ (sah-FRAH).

Safra is Arabic, Hebrew in Origin.

Safra carries two distinct Semitic lineages. In Arabic, Ṣafrāʾ (صفرا) is the feminine of aṣfar, “yellow” or “golden,” evoking saffron, sunlight, and autumnal hues; as a given name it is used for girls across the Levant, North Africa, and the Gulf, where its color symbolism suggests warmth and prosperity. In Jewish Aramaic, by contrast, safra (סַפְרָא) means “scribe,” from the root s-f-r “to write, to count,” linking the name to books, learning, and meticulous craft.

Usage spans antiquity to the present: the 4th‑century Babylonian Talmudic sage Rav Safra bears the Aramaic form as a male name, while modern Arabic-speaking communities favor the color-derived feminine. As a Jewish surname, Safra is well attested among Sephardi and Mizrahi families. Variants and transliterations include Safraa, Safrah, and Ṣafra; related nicknames include Safi. By meaning, it sits near Zahra (“radiant”) and, semantically, the English Saffron.