Zaire
Zaire is a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include:
- African American
- Literature
Meaning & Origin of Zaire
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Zaire is a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- African American
- Literature
The Story of Zaire
As a girl name
Zaire first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1975, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 83 Zaires were born — ranking #1,997 that year. As of 2026, Zaire ranks #7,296 for girls with 15 births, falling sharply (-26%). In total, more than 1K Zaires have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Zaire first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1974, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 689 Zaires were born — ranking #459 that year. As of 2026, Zaire ranks #459 for boys with 689 births, rising sharply (+43% over the past five years). In total, more than 10K Zaires have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Zaire
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Zaire. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Zaire
Phonetically similar names — useful when Zaire 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 Zaire
What does the name Zaire mean?
What is the origin of the name Zaire?
How popular is Zaire in 2026?
When was Zaire most popular?
In which U.S. states is Zaire most popular?
Is Zaire a unisex name?
What names go well with Zaire?
What are nicknames or variants of Zaire?
About the name Zaire
Zaire is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1974 and has accumulated 10K births in the dataset. Zaire's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #459. Use the chart and map above to compare Zaire'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 boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.