Girl · #782 in 2026

Zaria

Zaria is a metropolitan city in Nigeria, located within four local government areas in Kaduna State. It serves as the capital of the Zazzau Emirate Council and is one of the original seven Hausa city-states. The local government areas comprising Zaria are Zaria, Sabon Gari, Giwa, and Soba local government areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Current Rank
#782
Peak Rank
#479 (2000)
Total Babies
12K
5-Yr Trend
+6%
1982
First Year
2026
Last Year
2000
Peak Year
#479
Peak Rank
12K
Total Count
38
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Zaria

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

Zaria is a metropolitan city in Nigeria, located within four local government areas in Kaduna State. It serves as the capital of the Zazzau Emirate Council and is one of the original seven Hausa city-states. The local government areas comprising Zaria are Zaria, Sabon Gari, Giwa, and Soba local government areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria.

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

Origin & history
Further information: Kingdom of Zazzau Guard at the palace of the emir Zaria, initially known as Zazzau, was the capital of the Hausa kingdom of Zazzau . Zazzau is thought to have been founded in or about 1536 and in the late 16th century it was renamed after Queen Amina 's sister, Zaria. Human settlement predates the rise of Zazzau, as the region, like some of its neighbors, had a history of sedentary Hausa settlement, with institutional market exchange and farming. Zaria was the most southern of the Hausa city-states. It was a trading destination for Saharan caravans as well as a prominent c

The Story of Zaria

Zaria first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1982, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 568 Zarias were born — ranking #479 that year. As of 2026, Zaria ranks #782 for baby girls with 362 births, gradually rising (+6%). In total, more than 12K Zarias have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Top 10
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No data

Notable people named Zaria

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Ango Abdullahi is the former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
  • Shola Ameobi , football player
  • Bashir Abubakar , retired Nigerian custom officer, politician Businessman
  • Tajudeen Abbas , speaker of the 10th House of representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
  • Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli , current emir of Zazzau. He was former ambassador of Nigeria to Thailand with concurrent accreditation with Myanmar.
  • Nuhu Bamalli , minister of foreign affairs in the first republic, author, state commissioner, former businessman. The state polytechnic is named after him.
  • D'banj , musician/Artist
  • Umaru Dikko , minister in the second republic

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

Names that sound like Zaria

Phonetically similar names — useful when Zaria 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 Zaria

What does the name Zaria mean?
Zaria is a metropolitan city in Nigeria, located within four local government areas in Kaduna State. It serves as the capital of the Zazzau Emirate Council and is one of the original seven Hausa city-states. The local government areas comprising Zaria are Zaria, Sabon Gari, Giwa, and Soba local government areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria.
How popular is Zaria in 2026?
In 2026, Zaria ranks #782 among girls' names in the U.S., with 362 babies given the name that year.
When was Zaria most popular?
Zaria reached its peak popularity in 2000, ranking #479 that year with 568 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Zaria most popular?
Zaria has historically been most popular in Mississippi, District of Columbia, South Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Zaria.
Is Zaria a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Zaria is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Zaria?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Zaria include Queenie, Ara, Shelbi. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Queenie
Peak #479
👧
Ara
Peak #479
👧
Shelbi
Peak #479
👧
Madilynn
Peak #479
👧
Francisca
Peak #478
👧
Shellie
Peak #478
👧
Marvel
Peak #480
👧
Germaine
Peak #480

About the name Zaria

Zaria is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1982 and has accumulated 12K births in the dataset. Zaria's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #479. Use the chart and map above to compare Zaria'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.