Cool Baby Names That Start with Z

Zaria, the name of the Nigerian capital city, could be another Z name for parents to consider. It currently ranks lower than variations Zariah and Zariyah.

Familiar through the similarly pronounced TV Warrior Princess, Xena, this name ultimately derives from the Greek Xenia, meaning "guest, foreigner, hospitality". Familiar in the early 19th century in the US, it may also be used as a short form of Alexina, Rozina, Zenobia, and similar.

There are many variations of this name, with or without the initial T and the final h, with one p or two. In the Bible she was the wife of Moses.

Short and to-the-point, it turns an ancient biblical name into a friendly cowboy.

With historical roots as a beautiful and intelligent ancient queen and literary ties to Hawthorne and Edith Wharton novels, this rarity could appeal to adventurous parents seeking the romantically unusual. Tina Fey used it as her daughter Alice's middle name.

Zero has been documented as a given name before, but it's largely familiar as a stage name (such as Zero Mostel, born Samuel Joel Mostel) and comic book and anime characters.

Simple but sultry.

Zariyah has several possible origins: the Arabic Zahrah which means "flower" or Zariya "scattering wind"; the Hebrew name Azariah, meaning "God has helped"; or the Russian word Zaria which means "sunrise, dawn."

The supreme Olympian god represents a mighty image for a little fella to live up to, but more and more parents are beginning to consider it seriously. The Roman equivalent Jupiter has also come down to earth. And Zeus wasn't just the supreme god, he was also the god of the sky, thunder, lightning, and fate, among other weighty responsibilities.

Popular girls' name in Syria. In Yiddish, pronounced ZAE-dah, this is a term for grandfather.

Biblical name from the Old Testament.

A truly international name with an arty feel, Zina has many origins. It is used as a short form of Zinaida, Rozina, and Zenobia in Russia, Hungary, and Poland and as an alternative form of Xena, Xenia, and Zena in various European countries. It is also an Arabic name meaning "adornment", an Nsenga name referring to a child's spirit name, a Galician form of Gina, and an Amharic name that could mean "felicity, happiness".

This shortened form of Zephaniah makes an original Old Testament choice. It might plausibly make an honor name for Stephen or Stephan, and comes with the appealing short form Zeph.

Biblical names are expanding (literally) as some parents move from Isaiah and Elijah to more elaborate choices with simple short forms, like Jedidiah and Zebediah.

Abbreviated form of Zahara that was used by Chris Rock for his daughter and as a middle name by both Eddie Murphy and David Bowie. Compared with the even-more-abbreviated Zara, Zahra may create more spelling problems but clarify pronunciation.

This is a Hebrew word name, created from the word zahav, meaning gold.

The sixth letter of the Greek alphabet, popularized by Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones -- Zeta was her grandmother's first name. Zeta can also refer to the letter Z, the last in the Roman alphabet, or be a spelling variation of Zita, a name with several possible origins and meanings.

Two Zells of note: conservative southern senator Zell Miller, and video-game character Zell, a hero of "Final Fantasy."

A popular name in the Middle East and one of the most evocative choices of its genre. One of the 99 names of Allah. The feminine form is Zahira.