Zohar is a Hebrew name meaning “radiance.”

Most famously, it is associated with the foundational work of Jewish mysticism, the Zohar, which is the central text of Kabbalah authored by the Mishnaic sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. The name evokes themes of light, spiritual illumination, and divine brilliance.

The word appears in Tanach, such as in Daniel 12:3, where it describes the celestial brightness of the wise: “And the wise shall shine like the radiance (זֹהַר) of the firmament…” This usage emphasizes not just physical brightness, but a transcendent, spiritual illumination.

Similar Names

Similar names include Or, meaning “light”; Meir, meaning “one who gives light”; Ori, meaning “my light”; and Yair, meaning “he will shine.”