Zipporah is the first wife of Moses and daughter of Reuel (=Jethro), a Midianite priest (Exodus 2:21).
The name Zipporah comes from the extensive word-group (sapar 1958-1962):
The assumed root (spr) yields the noun (sippor), meaning bird. In Judges 7:3 the word is used as a verb that is difficult the interpret: (sapar), perhaps literally: "...Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and chicken out and off Mount Gilead."
The assumed root (spr 1960) yields the noun (sepira), meaning plait or diadem (Isaiah 28:5).
The assumed root (spr) yields the noun (sipporen), which may mean either fingernail (Deuteronomy 21:12) or engraving pen (Jeremiah 17:1).
The assumed root (spr) yields the noun (sapir), meaning he-goat. This word is used in later Biblical texts only.
The name Zipporah may mean any of the above, but is most commonly interpreted to mean Bird (and so does NOBS Study Bible Name List). Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads the more distinctive Little Bird, possibly to indicate that Zipporah doesn't mean bird in the sense of eagle or ostrich.
(sapar 1958-1962):
(sippor), meaning bird. In Judges 7:3 the word is used as a verb that is difficult the interpret: 
(sepira), meaning plait or diadem (Isaiah 28:5).
(sipporen), which may mean either fingernail (Deuteronomy 21:12) or engraving pen (Jeremiah 17:1).
(sapir), meaning he-goat. This word is used in later Biblical texts only.
