Za
Meaning
a Cantonese short form used as a familiar name, spelled Za or Sa, often with the affectionate prefix 阿 (Ah), as with the singer Charlene Choi, widely known as Ah Sa
The story
Za is Hong Kong affection at work: a short, one-syllable name spelled Za or Sa, the kind of familiar form Cantonese speakers use for someone they know well. The best-known bearer of the sound is Charlene Choi, half of the Cantopop duo Twins, widely known as Ah Sa: the affectionate prefix ah (阿) plus the short syllable. As a standalone given name Za is rare and personal, which is rather the point: it is the sound of being known well.
How popular is Za around the world?
In the United States, Za is not on the Social Security record for 2020 to 2025: names under 5 in a year are withheld at source.
United States
under 5 a year
In the United States, Za is not on the Social Security record for 2020 to 2025: names under 5 in a year are withheld at source.
Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration
Not on the record in Spain, Mexico City, Argentina, Puerto Rico, England and Wales, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Scotland: those registries withhold small counts, so rare uses may sit below their floors.
Not on the Chile record: nametree keeps spellings that reached 5 registrations in some year, so rarer uses are not shown. Not on the Montevideo record for 1940 to 2011: that registry withholds nothing, so this spelling was not given there in those years. Not on the France record: nametree keeps spellings that reached 20 births in some year, so rarer uses are not shown. Not on the South Australia record for 1944 to 2017: that registry withholds nothing, so this spelling was not given there in those years.
Keep exploring
The Za deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Za truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Za fits with your family’s names and surname.
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