I'm trying to do some research on a name that's been in my family for generations, and hoping whatever I find may help lead me to a similar or related name that's more masculine... I think I'm looking as much for informed opinions as definite fact -- "this is likely" would be as useful to me here as "it's definitely ____" haha.
My great-grandmother
Zara was born between 1910 and 1920 in the southeastern United States. We have no idea where her parents got the name... they were Jewish, if that might help? I've always wondered whether there might have been a popular book or something that inspired them -- I do see on this site that "
Zara" was sometimes used as an English version of "
Zaïre" from an old play? Does anyone know if this might have been well known enough where/when she was born to possibly influence her parents...? Something else? I have no idea what popular naming conventions there might have been there/then.
I know there's no direct masculine equivalent, but I'm hoping to find something that's somehow related/inspired for a boy's middle name, in honor of my family's history... what I know of it, anyway haha. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated!