Zeka

A multicultural choice that can be used as a nickname, a given name, and a surname, Zeka might appeal to those who enjoy names such as Sacha, Mika, and Luka, and to those who like Hezekiah and Ezekiel but don't want anything so heavily Biblical.

As a diminutive, Zeka may derive from the Biblical Zechariah meaning "He (God) has remembered". It would work especially for international variations of the name such as the Turkish Zekeriya or Albanian Zekeria. Alternatively, it may come from Hezekiah or Ezekiel meaning "God strengthens", and as such, would make a fresh twist on Zeke.

From its Turkish roots, Zeka may well be a variation on the name Zeki and the word zekâ meaning "intelligent, clever, mind". Ultimately, it would then stem from the Arabic dhakīy.

Due to its multicultural roots, it is used across Albania, Egypt, the DR of Congo, Serbia, Russia, Cyprus, and beyond, though it has yet to rank in the US charts.

The name is pronounced zeh-kah from its Turkish and Albanian roots, though zee-kuh may also be used elsewhere.

Pronounced ZEK-uh.