Hebrew word · H8297

שָׂרַי

sarai

Sarai

From the root behind śar, 'official, chief, prince'. The name is usually understood as 'princess' or 'noble lady'. The ending -ay is probably an old feminine or affectionate ending.

Appears 17 times in 13 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. · Updated November 01, 2026

What it means

A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.29;

daughter of: Terah (H8646);

sister of: Abraham (H0085), Nahor (H5152H) and Haran (H2039); married to Abraham (H0085);

mother of: Isaac (H3327); also called Sarai at Gen.11.29,30,31; 12.5,11,17; 16.1,2,3,5,6,8; 17.15;

Another name of sa.rah (שָׂרָה "Sarah" H8283)

§ Sarai = "princess"

original name of Sarah the wife of Abram or Abraham

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Genesis 11:29

Range of meaning: From the root behind śar, 'official, chief, prince'. The name is usually understood as 'princess' or 'noble lady'. The ending -ay is probably an old feminine or affectionate ending. Most scholars think Sarai and Sarah (17:15) mean the same thing, so the renaming marks a new status rather than a new meaning.
Against the English: English versions simply transliterate the name, so readers miss that it is a title. Readers who know only 'Sarah' may not notice that the woman in Gen 11–17 bears the older form.
Used elsewhere in the period: In Akkadian, šarratu ('queen') was a title of Ningal, wife of the moon-god Sin, who was worshipped at Ur and Harran, the two cities where Terah's family lived (Gen 11:28, 31). The link is suggestive but not proven (see Sarna, JPS Genesis; Wenham, WBC).

From the study of Genesis 11:30

Range of meaning: A personal name, generally linked to śar, 'prince, chief, official'. So 'princess' or 'noblewoman'. The ending -ay is debated: an old feminine ending, or 'my princess'. In Gen 17:15 God renames her Śārāh, the ordinary feminine form 'princess', and the narrative treats the new name as marking her new role as mother of kings (17:16).
Against the English: English simply transliterates. Readers seldom notice that the name means anything, or that Sarai and Sarah are two forms of one meaning.
Used elsewhere in the period: Commentators (e.g., Sarna, JPS Genesis) note that Akkadian šarratu, 'queen', was a title of Ningal, consort of the moon-god Sin, who was worshipped at both Ur and Harran, the two cities in this passage. Milcah (compare malkatu, 'queen') matches another divine title known at Harran. Whether the names point to the family's religious background or are simply common names is uncertain.

Where it appears

Genesis · 17

Genesis 11:29 שָׂרָ֔י [was] Sarai

And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah.

Here: Probably 'princess, noble lady'. It comes from the root of śar, 'chief, prince', and is an older form of the name Sarah (17:15). No father is given for her, which stands out next to Milcah.
Genesis 11:30 שָׂרַ֖י Sarai

But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

Here: Abram's wife, called by her earlier name (renamed Sarah in Gen 17:15). The name most likely means 'princess' or 'noble lady'. The irony: a name that suggests high rank goes with a condition that left a woman without status in her world.
Genesis 11:31 שָׂרַ֣י Sarai

And Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai the wife of Abram, and they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan. But when they arrived in Haran, they settled there.

Here: Abram's wife. The verse just before has said she was barren (11:30). Her name is related to śar, 'prince, noble', and is later changed to Sarah (17:15).
Genesis 12:5 שָׂרַ֨י Sarai

And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,
Genesis 12:11 שָׂרַ֣י Sarai

As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman,
Genesis 12:17 שָׂרַ֖י Sarai

The LORD, however, afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai.
Genesis 16:1 וְשָׂרַי֙ and Sarai

Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.

Here: The sentence opens with her name instead of a verb. In Hebrew narrative this pauses the story to give background and signals a new episode: 'Now Sarai…'. The name is usually linked with sar, 'prince/chief', so roughly 'princess'. She becomes 'Sarah' in 17:15.
Genesis 16:2 שָׂרַ֜י שָׂרָֽי׃ Sarai

So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

Here: Abram's wife, still under her earlier name. She becomes "Sarah" in 17:15, the chapter where God first names her as the mother of the promised son.
Genesis 16:3 שָׂרַ֣י Sarai

So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.
Genesis 16:5 שָׂרַ֣י Sarai

Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you! I delivered my servant into your arms, and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has treated me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me.”
Genesis 16:6 שָׂרַ֗י שָׂרַ֔י Sarai

“Here,” said Abram, “your servant is in your hands. Do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she fled from her.
Genesis 16:8 שָׂרַ֛י שָׂרַ֣י Sarai

“Hagar, servant of Sarai,” he said, “where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I am running away from my mistress Sarai,” she replied.
Genesis 17:15 שָׂרַ֣י שָׂרָ֑י Sarai

Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.