Zed
Zed is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Zed
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Zed is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Zed
The earliest SSA record of Zed as a baby boy name dates back to 1882, when 5 babies received it. 2018 was its biggest year on record, with 18 newborns named Zed — #5,104 in the national rankings. About 21% of every Zed on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Zed ranks #6,275 for baby boys with 14 births, gradually falling (-6%). All told, over 474 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Zed
Phonetically similar names — useful when Zed 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 Zed
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About the name Zed
Zed is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 474 births in the dataset. Zed's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #857. Use the chart and map above to compare Zed's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2018 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "Z" →
- Browse all boy 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.