ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1880 First Year 2026 Last Year 2012 Peak Year #28 Peak Rank 169K Total Count 147 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Zoe What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Zoe, Zoey, Zoie, Zoi, Zoé, Zoia, Zoya or Zoë is a feminine first name of Greek origin, meaning "life". It is a popular name for girls in many countries, ranking among the top 100 names for girls born in the United States since 2000. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoe%5F%28name%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoe%5F%28name%29) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * English * Italian * Spanish * German * Czech * Ancient Greek * French * Hungarian * Catalan * Dutch [![Wikipedia thumbnail for Zoe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Zoe_mosaic_Hagia_Sophia.jpg/330px-Zoe_mosaic_Hagia_Sophia.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoe%5F%28name%29) 📖 ## The Story of Zoe American parents first put Zoe on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 23 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2012, when 6,466 Zoes were born — ranking #30 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 34% of all recorded Zoes. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #28 among baby girl names with 5,781 births, gradually rising (+10%). In total, more than 169K Zoes 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 ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🔗 ## Variants & Related Forms of Zoe Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Zoe. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Zoë * [Zoey](/zoey) * [Zoie](/zoie) * [Zowie](/zowie) 🎶 ## Names that sound like Zoe Phonetically similar names — useful when Zoe is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Zoey](/zoey) * [Zooey](/zooey) * [Zowie](/zowie) * [Zoa](/zoa) * [Zui](/zui) * Xui * Soay * [Zee](/zee) * [Ze](/ze) * [Zi](/zi) * [Zia](/zia) * Zie Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Zoe What does the name Zoe mean? Zoe, Zoey, Zoie, Zoi, Zoé, Zoia, Zoya or Zoë is a feminine first name of Greek origin, meaning "life". It is a popular name for girls in many countries, ranking among the top 100 names for girls born in the United States since 2000. What is the origin of the name Zoe? Zoe has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, Italian, Spanish, German, Czech, Ancient Greek, French, Hungarian, Catalan, Dutch. How popular is Zoe in 2026? In 2026, Zoe ranks #28 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5,781 babies given the name that year. When was Zoe most popular? Zoe reached its peak popularity in 2012, ranking #28 that year with 6,466 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Zoe most popular? Zoe has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Zoe. Is Zoe a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Zoe is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name. What names go well with Zoe? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Zoe include Ann, Haley, Wendy. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. What are nicknames or variants of Zoe? Common variants and related forms of Zoe include Zoë, Zoey, Zoie, Zowie. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms. ## Similar Names [👧AnnPeak #28](/ann)[👧HaleyPeak #28](/haley)[👧WendyPeak #28](/wendy)[👧HattiePeak #27](/hattie)[👧EstherPeak #27](/esther)[👧LucillePeak #27](/lucille)[👧MichelePeak #29](/michele)[👧JaimePeak #29](/jaime) ## About the name Zoe Zoe is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 169K births in the dataset. Zoe's peak popularity came in 2012 when it ranked #28\. Use the chart and map above to compare Zoe's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 2012 → ](/year/2012) * [ Names of the 2010s → ](/decade/2010s) * [ Names starting with "Z" → ](/letter/z) * [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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.