Zealous Z's

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

Zesty brother of Cade and Slade.

A nouveau member of the Aidan/Braden/Jaden group. Yet another variation on a too-trendy genre -- never the most original way to go, even if there aren't yet many Zadens on your block. Still, a Z initial always adds zest and this is a name many boys would love to have for their very own.

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.

Zaina is the simplified form of Zaynab, the name of the eldest daughter of Muhammad. Zayna is another accepted spelling; the name is also found as Zainabu, which exists in both the Arabic and Swahili languages. These are all feminizations of the male Zayn, also spelled Zain, which sounds exactly like but is a fundamentally different name from Zane, rooted in Western culture as a variation of John. Confused yet? Zaina is an unusual name that is simple to understand and pronounce, all pluses, though the many spelling variations may cause mixups.

An interesting bird name choice if you're seeking a nonbiblical Hebrew name. The zippy Z sound is appealing to more parents, and Zamir entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022.

Heard in Spain more as a last name, but would work here as an alluring first.

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 of names), and soon phoneticized into Zan. The spellings are running neck and neck in popularity, with Xan slightly ahead, while other parents prefer the longer forms, Xander and Zander, both of which also rank in the two hundreds.

An international possibility, heard from England and Israel to Poland, Latvia, and Albania.

A feminine multicultural nickname name perfectly able to stand on its own.

If there are too many Jareds in your neighborhood, you might want to consider this Hebrew alternative.

More often heard in the West as a surname, Zarin could work as a first for boys or girls.

This Old Russian name is mentioned in several genealogical sources, but few modern name books. Pronounced either to rhyme with David, or as zah-VEED, it can be a highly unusual alternative.