Girl · #28 in 2026

Zoe

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

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.

Current Rank

#28

Peak Rank

#28 (2012)

Total Babies

169K

5-Yr Trend

+10%

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.

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

The Story of Zoe

Zoe first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 23 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2012, when 6,466 Zoes were born — ranking #30 that year. As of 2026, Zoe ranks #28 for baby girls 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

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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
Zooey
Zowie
Zoa
Zui
Xui
Soay
Zee
Ze
Zi
Zia
Zie

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Zoe

What does the name Zoe mean?

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.

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

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.