Boy · #4,186 in 2026

Zalman

Zalman, occasionally Zalmen is a Yiddish-language variant of Solomon. The name was common among European Jews, and it still has usage in many Haredi and especially Hasidic communities.

Current Rank
#4,186
Peak Rank
#3,298 (2021)
Total Babies
716
5-Yr Trend
+27%
1949
First Year
2026
Last Year
2021
Peak Year
#3298
Peak Rank
716
Total Count
60
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Zalman

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Zalman, occasionally Zalmen is a Yiddish-language variant of Solomon. The name was common among European Jews, and it still has usage in many Haredi and especially Hasidic communities.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Zalman

Zalman first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1949, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 27 Zalmans were born — ranking #3,908 that year. As of 2026, Zalman ranks #4,186 for baby boys with 26 births, rising sharply (+27% over the past five years). In total, more than 716 Zalmans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Top 10
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No data

Names that sound like Zalman

Phonetically similar names — useful when Zalman 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 Zalman

What does the name Zalman mean?
Zalman, occasionally Zalmen is a Yiddish-language variant of Solomon. The name was common among European Jews, and it still has usage in many Haredi and especially Hasidic communities.
How popular is Zalman in 2026?
In 2026, Zalman ranks #4,186 among boys' names in the U.S., with 26 babies given the name that year.
When was Zalman most popular?
Zalman reached its peak popularity in 2021, ranking #3,298 that year with 27 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Zalman most popular?
Zalman has historically been most popular in New Jersey, New York. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Zalman.
Is Zalman a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Zalman is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Zalman?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Zalman include Pittman, Wavely, Tolly. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Zalman

Zalman is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1949 and has accumulated 716 births in the dataset. Zalman's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #3,298. Use the chart and map above to compare Zalman's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.