Boy · #3,979 in 2026

Zein

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

Zein is a class of prolamine protein found in maize. It is usually manufactured as a powder from corn gluten meal. Zein is one of the best understood plant proteins. Pure zein is clear, odorless, tasteless, hard, water-insoluble, and edible, and it has a variety of industrial and food uses.

Current Rank

#3,979

Peak Rank

#3,170 (2018)

Total Babies

481

5-Yr Trend

+18%

1991

First Year

2026

Last Year

2018

Peak Year

#3170

Peak Rank

481

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Zein

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

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

The Story of Zein

Zein first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1991, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 36 Zeins were born — ranking #3,170 that year. As of 2026, Zein ranks #3,979 for baby boys with 28 births, rising sharply (+18% over the past five years). In total, more than 481 Zeins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Zein

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

Zine
Zone
Zen
Zon
Zane
Zan
Zin
Zain
Zeen
Zune
Zoon
Zun

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Zein

What does the name Zein mean?

How popular is Zein in 2026?

In 2026, Zein ranks #3,979 among boys' names in the U.S., with 28 babies given the name that year.

When was Zein most popular?

Zein reached its peak popularity in 2018, ranking #3,170 that year with 36 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Zein most popular?

Zein has historically been most popular in Michigan, New York, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Zein.

Is Zein a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Zein?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Zein include Toryn, Nirvan, Copelan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Zein

Zein is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1991 and has accumulated 481 births in the dataset. Zein's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #3,170. Use the chart and map above to compare Zein'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.