Parents seeking baby boy names that start with “Z” have plenty of options beyond Zachary.
“Zachary was ultra-rare until the second half of the 20th century — like until the 1950s it was almost unheard of. Then it was the ‘Z’ name for a couple of decades,” Laura Wattenberg, creator of Namerology, tells TODAY.com. “Until the turn of the millennium, Zachary made up the majority of all ‘Z’ babies in the U.S. And now that has totally changed.”
Boy names that start with “Z” are popular right now without any single dominant name, according to Wattenberg.
“Meaningful names like Zion and Zephyr are popular right now,” Wattenberg says. As is Zahir, which can be spelled in a variety of ways.
Zayn, or Zane, is also coming up through the ranks.
“Zayn and Zane are pronounced the same way, but they have wildly different cultural meanings,” Wattenberg notes. Zane is associated with late author Zane Grey, a writer of western novels, while Zayn is likely inspired by pop star Zayn Malik.
“Zayn is also an Arabic name and appeals to a completely different segment of the population,” Wattenberg says.
Wattenberg describes “Z” as a turbocharger letter, meaning it adds energy to name.
“It has that Zorro feeling of drama,” she says.
Parents love Z names so much that they’re importing names from other languages such as Zamir, an Arabic name from Hebrew. They are also looking to places for inspiration. Zaire, a country now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is ranked 456 on the baby names list from the Social Security Administration.
Famous male personalities with “Z” names include: Zayn Malik, Zac Efron, Zach Galifianakis, Ziggy Marley, Zion Williamson and Zaven Collins.
Celebrities who have given their sons “Z” monikers include: Zachary (Elton John), Zuma (Gwen Stefani), Zander (Mindy McCready), Zane (Brian Austin Green), Zen (Zoe Saldana), Zev (Marissa Jaret Winokur), Ziggy (Ashlee Simpson), Zillion (Nick Cannon), and Zydn (Odell Beckham Jr.).
More baby naming inspiration!
Whether having a name that starts with “Z” is a longstanding family tradition or just a choice you’ve landed on for your new arrival, here are 100 baby boy names that start with “Z” to consider: