Zainab
Zaynab, and variant spellings, is an Arabic female given name meaning 'a flower in the desert'.
Meaning & Origin of Zainab
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Zaynab, and variant spellings, is an Arabic female given name meaning 'a flower in the desert'.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Zainab
Zainab first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1957, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 329 Zainabs were born — ranking #829 that year. As of 2026, Zainab ranks #829 for baby girls with 329 births, gradually rising (+10%). In total, more than 8K Zainabs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Zainab
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Zainab Abbas (born 1988), Pakistani sports presenter
- Zaynab Abd al-Razzaq (born 1938), Moroccan lawyer and the first female judge in Morocco
- Zaynab al-Awadiya , medieval physician
- Zainab Ahmad (born 1980), American prosecutor
- Zainab Ahmed (born 1960), Nigerian politician
- Zeinab Badawi (born 1959), Sudanese-British television and radio journalist for the BBC
- Zaynab bint Al-Harith (died 629), Jewish woman who poisoned Muhammad
- Zaynab bint Ali (c. 626–682), daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the sister of Husayn ibn Ali, and granddaughter of Muhammad
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Zainab
Phonetically similar names — useful when Zainab is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Zainab
What does the name Zainab mean?
How popular is Zainab in 2026?
When was Zainab most popular?
In which U.S. states is Zainab most popular?
Is Zainab a unisex name?
What names go well with Zainab?
About the name Zainab
Zainab is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1957 and has accumulated 8K births in the dataset. Zainab's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #829. Use the chart and map above to compare Zainab's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "Z" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.