Updated October 2026
Across 4 pages
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Diminutive of Alexander, Greek
"defending men"
There's Zan and there's Xan--take your pick. Both of these are the latest generation of Alexander nicknames, Xan having been noticed first as a character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (a rich source…
Arabic
"victory"
A strong name with a strong meaning, like its cousin Zafir.
Hungarian
"sultan"
Though a common name in Hungary, with the spelling Zoltán, the relatively rare Z sound is striking to English speakers. Penn Gillette used the Zolten spelling for his son; it was also the name of…
Spanish derivation of Greek
"life"
A male take on the feminine name Zoe, it's hard to give an attractive pronunciation.
Fictional invented name
Name invented for a spirit fox character on the Disney Channel TV show Sofia the First .
Hebrew
"God's gift"
One of the most unusual of the "iah" names, it comes with the appealing and usable nickname Zev.
Greek, French
"viable, survivor"
Not to be confused with the identically spelt Greek feminine form, which is pronounced with three syllables, Zosime is the French form of the male name Zosimus. Zosime or Zosimus is a quirky Z…
Color or mineral name
Extreme cool possibilities in either of these modern categories, like a postmodern Linc.
Gem name from Greek
"gold-hued"
Although Zircon means "gold-hued," the gem comes in a variety of colors.
Persian
"golden"
More often heard in the West as a surname, Zarin could work as a first for boys or girls.
Variant of Zoltan
"Sultan; ruler"
Zolten is a variant spelling of Zoltan, which is currently in the Top 50 in Hungary, its country of origin. We recommend you stick with the original spelling, which remains extremely rare.
Zafiro is a masculine name derived from the Spanish word for 'sapphire,' referring to the blue precious gemstone. The name carries connotations of luxury, beauty, and rarity. In various cultures,…
Modern invented name
Two Zells of note: conservative southern senator Zell Miller, and video-game character Zell, a hero of "Final Fantasy."
Yiddish,"defender of men"
"defender of men"
Yiddish form of Alexander.
Literary name
The original Zooey, hero of J.D. Salinger's Franny & Zooey , was male, but nowadays the name is more closely associated with actress/singer Zooey Deschanel. With Zoe at number 31 for girls and Zoey…
Literary surname
Authors or Francophiles – or both – could consider this zippy name in honor of renowned French writer Émile Zola, author of Germinal , Thérèse Raquin and the infamous open letter J'Accuse...! .
Tamazight and Berber
"moonlight"
Masculine short form of the Berber name Tiziri, meaning "moonlight" in Tamazight.
American place-name and Arabic
"peace"
Zuma was entered in the American name lexicon when musicians Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale chose it for their son. Californians will recognize Zuma as the name of a beautiful beach in Malibu, and…
Basque
"sky"
English speakers will think you invented this one, but it's a hidden nature name from the Basque country in present-day Spain. Some may find it too close to "zero" for comfort.
Greek
"survivor"
Zosimos or Zosimus are Ancient Greek names with several saints, a pope, and an author of Roman history to their credit. The female form is Zosime.