Her original name was Sarai (in the Vulgate and the Wycliffite Bible; Σαρα in the Septuagint), and in some cases, it is hard to differentiate forms of Sara from forms of Sarai. The usual English spelling of the name was Sara; forms with the intrusive h were always less common. The name was used by both Christians and Jews in the Middle Ages, but was rare outside of Britain and France.

England

Latin

● 1185x1186 Sarra (nom) PR-XXXVI p. 18; 1279–80 Sara (nom) WaHR-SK p. 43; 1340xc1450 Sara (nom) CovGuild-1 p. 5, Sarra (nom) ibid. p. 22; 1377 Sarra (nom) FenPT-2 p. 4; 1379 Sara (nom) WRYPT1 p. 7; 1381 Sara (abl) Suffolk1381 p. 99, Sarra (nom) FenPT-2 p. 6, Suffolk1381 p. 73; 1568 Sarah (nom) RegSoABap p. 15

Dutch

● 1571 Sara AuFr Godschalck; 1572 Sara ibid. Adriaenssen; 1573 Sara ibid. Daneels; 1574 Sara ibid. Carremans; 1575 Sara ibid. Crabbe; 1576 Sara ibid. Beste; 1577 Sara ibid. Bauwens; 1578 Sara ibid. Becks; 1579 Sara ibid. Bogards; 1580 Sara ibid. Beeckmans; 1581 Sara ibid. Gaber; 1582 Sara ibid. Bone, Sarra ibid. Cleijnen; 1583 Sara ibid. Galmardts; 1584 Sara ibid. Franke; 1585 Sara ibid. Clerck; 1586 Sara ibid. Aelbertinck; 1587 Sara ibid. Achtschellinc; 1588 Sara ibid. Beijdaels; 1589 Sara ibid. Gheerarts; 1590 Sara ibid. Anthonissz; 1591 Sara ibid. Bossche; 1592 Sara ibid. Adams; 1593 Sara ibid. Bracht; 1594 Sara ibid. Anyeke; 1595 Sara ibid. Gelarts; 1596 Sara ibid. Clouwens; 1597 Sara ibid. Bertholomeus; 1598 Sara ibid. Aertsz; 1599 Sara ibid. Coudron

Early Modern English

● 1549 Sarah StAnthonlin p. 8; 1551 Sarah ibid. p. 9; 1552 Sarah ibid. p. 9; 1554 Sarah ibid. p. 10, Sarrah ibid. p. 10; 1561 Sara BarnstapleBap p. 11; 1563 Sarah StAnthonlin p. 15, Saray BarnstapleBap p. 12; 1571 Sara OrpingtonKe p. 3; 1572 Sarah RegSoAMar p. 6, StAnthonlin p. 22; 1573 Sarah ibid. p. 23; 1574 Sarah ibid. p. 23; 1575 Sarah ibid. p. 24; 1577 Sarah ibid. p. 25; 1578/9 Sara RegBath p. 4; 1578 Sarah StAnthonlin p. 26; 1579 Sara RegBath p. 4; 1580 Sara bruton1 p. 44; 1583/4 Sara HAmar-vol9 p. 3; 1583 Sara RegBath p. 5, Sarah WAmar-1 p. 16; 1584 Sarah RegBath p. 6; 1585 Sarai RegPat p. 36; 1586 Sarah StAnthonlin p. 32, Sarie SaxhamSf p. 4; 1587 Sarah DEmar-vol2 p. 13, StAnthonlin p. 32; 1588/9 Sara RegBath p. 8; 1588 Sarah StAnthonlin p. 33, WAmar-1 p. 98; 1589 Sarah RegSoAMar p. 14; 1590 Sara HAmar-vol9 p. 116, RegFord p. 1, Sarah StAnthonlin p. 34; 1591 Sara RegBath p. 9; 1591/2 Sara ibid. p. 9; 1593 Sara BEmar-vol1 p. 16, RegBath p. 10, RegFord p. 2; 1594 Sara BUmar-vol9 p. 8; 1595/6 Sara RegFord p. 3; 1595 Sarah DEmar-vol2 p. 31; 1596 Sara BEmar-vol1 p. 16, Sarah StAnthonlin p. 38; 1597/8 Sara BEmar-vol1 p. 17; 1597 Sara bruton1 p. 55; 1598 Sarah StAnthonlin p. 39; 1599 Sara RegGorton p. 1, Sarae StAnthonlin p. 40

Middle French

● 1567 Sarra WCS p. 39; 1568 Sara ibid. p. 39; 1570 Sara ibid. p. 40; 1571 Sara ibid. p. 41; 1574 Sara ibid. p. 42; 1575 Sara ibid. p. 42; 1577 Sara ibid. p. 43; 1578 Sara ibid. p. 43; 1579 Sarra ibid. p. 44; 1581 Sara ibid. p. 16; 1582 Sara ibid. p. 88; 1583 Sara ibid. p. 17; 1584 sara ibid. p. 18; 1585 Sara ibid. p. 19; 1586 Sara ibid. p. 47; 1587 Sara ibid. p. 89; 1588 Sara ibid. p. 21; 1589 Sara ibid. p. 22; 1590 Sara ibid. p. 49; 1591 Sara ibid. p. 90; 1593 Sara ibid. p. 50; 1595 Sara ibid. p. 51; 1596 Sara ibid. p. 52; 1597 Sara ibid. p. 52; 1598 Sara ibid. p. 27; 1599 Sara ibid. p. 106

Walloon

● 1581 Sara RWC p. 3; 1582 Sara ibid. p. 4; 1583 Sara ibid. p. 6; 1583/4 Sara ibid. p. 7; 1590 Sara ibid. p. 13; 1591 Sara ibid. p. 17; 1591/2 Sara ibid. p. 20; 1592 Sara ibid. p. 22; 1592/3 Sara ibid. p. 25; 1593 Sara ibid. p. 26; 1593/4 Sara ibid. p. 30; 1594 Sara ibid. p. 32

France

Latin

● 1147 Serra (nom) clairvaux-12thc 14; 1179 Sara (abl) ibid. 176; 1301 Sarra (nom) MemPic-vol17 p. 202, Sarre (gen) ibid. p. 202

Middle French

● 1562 Sarra RegPCC-1 p. 7; 1563 Sara ibid. p. 20, Sarra ibid. p. 37; 1564 Sara ibid. p. 72, Sarra ibid. p. 48; 1565 Sarra ibid. p. 162; 1566 Sarra ibid. p. 204; 1568 Sarra ibid. p. 393; 1570 Sarra ibid. p. 425

Wales

Early Modern English

● 1594 Sara RegLlantrithyd p. 62