Boy · #5,597 in 2026

Zayin

Name: Popularity of the name Zayin in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Zayin, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Zayin is the seventh letter of the Semitic abjads, including Phoenician zayn 𐤆, Hebrew zayīn ז‎, Aramaic zain 𐡆, Syriac zayn ܙ, and Arabic zāy ز‎. It represents the sound. It is also related to the Ancient North Arabian 𐪘‎‎, South Arabian 𐩸, and Ge'ez ዘ.‌ The Phoenician letter gave rise to the Greek zeta (Ζ), Etruscan z , Latin Z, and Cyrillic Ze З, as well as Ж.

Current Rank

#5,597

Peak Rank

#5,597 (2026)

Total Babies

256

5-Yr Trend

+38%

2001

First Year

2026

Last Year

2026

Peak Year

#5597

Peak Rank

256

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Zayin

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

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

Origin & history

The Proto-Sinaitic glyph may have been called ziqq , may not have been based on a hieroglyph , and may have depicted a " fetter ". An alternative view is that it is based on the " copper ingot " hieroglyph ( 𓈔 ) in the form of an axeblade, after noting that the name "zayin" has roots in Aramaic to refer to " Arms ," " Armor ," and " Metal used for arms ." The Phoenician letter appears to be named after a sword or other weapon. In Hebrew , zayin ( זין ‎ ) means "weapon", the verb lĕzayyēn ( לזיין ‎ ) means "to arm", and the verb lĕhizdayyēn ( להזדיין ‎ ) means "to arm oneself".

The Story of Zayin

The earliest SSA record of Zayin as a baby boy name dates back to 2001, when 5 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 17 newborns named Zayin — #5,597 in the national rankings. About 38% of every Zayin on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Zayin ranks #5,597 for baby boys with 17 births, rising sharply (+38% over the past five years). All told, over 256 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Zayin

Phonetically similar names — useful when Zayin is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Zion
Zoan
Zane
Zin
Zain
Xin
Zinn
Xeon
Zeon
Saying
Sewin
Saone

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Zayin

What does the name Zayin mean?

How popular is Zayin in 2026?

In 2026, Zayin ranks #5,597 among boys' names in the U.S., with 17 babies given the name that year.

When was Zayin most popular?

Zayin reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #5,597 that year with 17 babies given the name.

Is Zayin a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Zayin is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Zayin?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Zayin include Zaydn, Ishmel, Dae. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Zayin

Zayin is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2001 and has accumulated 256 births in the dataset. Zayin's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #5,597. Use the chart and map above to compare Zayin'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.