Zephaniah
Zephaniah is both a given name and surname. The name is of Hebrew origin and it means "God has hidden".
- Biblical
Meaning & Origin of Zephaniah
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Zephaniah is both a given name and surname. The name is of Hebrew origin and it means "God has hidden".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Biblical
The Story of Zephaniah
As a girl name
Zephaniah first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1996, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 28 Zephaniahs were born — ranking #4,847 that year. As of 2026, Zephaniah ranks #7,935 for girls with 13 births, falling sharply (-34%). In total, more than 483 Zephaniahs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Zephaniah first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1972, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 170 Zephaniahs were born — ranking #1,143 that year. As of 2026, Zephaniah ranks #1,373 for boys with 139 births, gradually falling (-7%). In total, more than 4K Zephaniahs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Where is Zephaniah most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- Kenya28%
- Nigeria27%
- CM18%
- UG14%
- TZ12%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Zephaniah
Phonetically similar names — useful when Zephaniah is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Zoffany
- Symphonia
- Softening
- Siphoning
- Syphoning
- Euphonia
- Saphenous
- Cephalo
- Sephen
- Siphonage
- Saphena
- Zinnia
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Zephaniah
What does the name Zephaniah mean?
What is the origin of the name Zephaniah?
How popular is Zephaniah in 2026?
When was Zephaniah most popular?
In which U.S. states is Zephaniah most popular?
Is Zephaniah a unisex name?
What names go well with Zephaniah?
About the name Zephaniah
Zephaniah is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1972 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Zephaniah's peak popularity came in 2019 when it ranked #1,143. Use the chart and map above to compare Zephaniah's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2019 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "Z" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.