Girl · #2,246 in 2026

Zena

Zena is a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include:Zena Cardman American marine biologist and a NASA astronaut Zena Cherry (1915–2000), Canadian journalist Zena Dare (1887–1975), English singer and actress Zena Edwards, British performance poet Zena Keefe (1896–1977), American silent film actress Zena Mahlangu, Swazi royal Zena Marshall (1925–2009), British actress Zena McNally,…

Current Rank
#2,246
Peak Rank
#536 (1964)
Total Babies
6K
5-Yr Trend
+3%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1964
Peak Year
#536
Peak Rank
6K
Total Count
146
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Zena

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

Zena is a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include:Zena Cardman American marine biologist and a NASA astronaut Zena Cherry (1915–2000), Canadian journalist Zena Dare (1887–1975), English singer and actress Zena Edwards, British performance poet Zena Keefe (1896–1977), American silent film actress Zena Mahlangu, Swazi royal Zena Marshall (1925–2009), British actress Zena McNally,…

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

The Story of Zena

Zena first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1964, when 222 Zenas were born — ranking #689 that year. As of 2026, Zena ranks #2,246 for baby girls with 84 births, holding steady (+3%). In total, more than 6K Zenas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
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MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
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VA
MD
DE
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UT
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NM
OK
LA
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Top 10
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500+
No data

Names that sound like Zena

Phonetically similar names — useful when Zena 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 Zena

What does the name Zena mean?
Zena is a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include:Zena Cardman American marine biologist and a NASA astronaut Zena Cherry (1915–2000), Canadian journalist Zena Dare (1887–1975), English singer and actress Zena Edwards, British performance poet Zena Keefe (1896–1977), American silent film actress Zena Mahlangu, Swazi royal Zena Marshall (1925–2009), British actress Zena McNally,…
How popular is Zena in 2026?
In 2026, Zena ranks #2,246 among girls' names in the U.S., with 84 babies given the name that year.
When was Zena most popular?
Zena reached its peak popularity in 1964, ranking #536 that year with 222 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Zena most popular?
Zena has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Arizona, Mississippi. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Zena.
Is Zena a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Zena is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Zena?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Zena include Roxy, Kaaren, Roni. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Roxy
Peak #536
👧
Kaaren
Peak #536
👧
Roni
Peak #536
👧
Yazmin
Peak #536
👧
Braylee
Peak #536
👧
Blanch
Peak #537
👧
Marilee
Peak #535
👧
Socorro
Peak #537

About the name Zena

Zena is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Zena's peak popularity came in 1964 when it ranked #536. Use the chart and map above to compare Zena'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.