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Karen's List o' Z

karen
By karen
Updated Sat May 20 2023
  1. Zoe

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "life"

    • Description:

      Zoe is one of those surprising names that has been on the Top 1000 nearly every year since 1880, but it's only since the turn of this century that it's ranked in the Top 100.
  2. Zachary

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "the Lord has remembered"

    • Description:

      Zachary, a Top 20 name throughout the 90s, is now sliding down the rankings though it remains in the Top 200. With its ancient roots and modern feel, it's easy to understand why Zachary has been such a longtime winner.
  3. Zora

    • Origin:

      Serbo-Croatian

    • Meaning:

      "dawn"

    • Description:

      Zora is a meaningful literary heroine name honoring Zora Neale Hurston, an important black writer and leader of the Harlem Renaissance.
  4. Zara

    • Origin:

      Hebrew and Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "blooming flower; God remembers"

    • Description:

      Zara has multiple origins, but most notably is a variation of Zahrah, a name derived from the Arabic zahrah, meaning "blooming flower." Zara can also be a diminutive of the Bulgarian name Zaharina, a feminine form of the Hebrew Zechariah. Today, Zara is heavily associated with the Spanish fast-fashion empire of the same name.
  5. Zinnia

    • Origin:

      Flower name, from German surname

    • Meaning:

      "Zinn's flower"

    • Description:

      Zinnia is an unusual floral choice with a bit more edge and energy than most and beginning to find its way onto namers' wish lists of botanical possibilities. Named after the 18th-century German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn, it appears in Roald Dahl's Matilda as the young protagonist's mother.
  6. Zosia

    • Origin:

      Variant of Sophia, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "wisdom"

    • Description:

      This unusual and alluring choice was used by David Mamet for his daughter, who is now grown and an actress on the hit show Girls.
  7. Zev

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "wolf"

    • Description:

      Zev is a short, simple, animal name that may relate to the Old Testament Ze'ev -- except he was a villainous character.
  8. Ziva

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "life"

    • Description:

      A zippy little international name. The Hebrew name relates to the month of Israeli independence, while the Slavic Ziva (also spelled Živa and Siva) is a goddess of love, life and fertility.
  9. Zuleika

    • Origin:

      Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "fair, brilliant beauty"

    • Description:

      Zuleika is a high-wire act of a name that might appeal to the intrepid baby namer, Like most 'Z'-starting girls' names, it projects a cool, strong aura, as exemplified by the character in Max Beerbohm's satirical 1910 novel, Zuleika Dobson, a heroine so gorgeous that the entire student body of Oxford University committed collective suicide at the sight of her.
  10. Zelia

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "zealous, ardent"

    • Description:

      An appealing name almost unknown in our culture but with roots in several others; worldlier than cousins Celia and Delia.
  11. Zetta

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "olive"

    • Description:

      A rarely heard Hebrew name whose zippy first initial Z transforms it from dated Yetta-like image to more lively Catherine Zeta Jones-like appeal.
  12. Ziven

    • Origin:

      Slavic, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "vigorous, lively; bright, radiant"

    • Description:

      Ziven is a sleek choice with multicultural origins and a bright, energized feel to it. From its Slavic roots, it likely derives from the South Slavic word, živ meaning "alive, living", making it a relative to Živko and Živka, which are used in Serbia and Croatia. It may also be considered a masculine form of Zivena (also called Živa), the goddess of life, love, and fertility in Slavic mythology. It may then also be spelled as Živan.
  13. Zenaida

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "the life of Zeus; dedicated to Zeus"

    • Description:

      A powerful name with an intriguing air of antiquity, Zenaida has the freshness of Zephyr and Azalea too. Meaning "life of Zeus" or "dedicated to Zeus", it was notably borne by the first-century saint, Zenaida of Tarsus. She and her sister Philonella, were physicians, particularly interested in experimental medicine, pediatrics, and psychiatric disorders.
  14. Zeki

    • Origin:

      Turkish; Ethiopian, Amharic

    • Meaning:

      "clever, intelligent; pure"

    • Description:

      This mini name is more spunky than Zack or Zeke, but shares those well-loved sounds. In Ethiopia, Zeki means "pure", and is pronounced "zeh-KEE", with emphasis on the second syllable. With the rise of trending Zakai and similar names into the US charts, Zeki has potential.
  15. Zed

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Zedekiah

    • Description:

      Newer than Zac, cooler than Ed, Ned, or Ted.
  16. Zevi

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "gazelle, roebuck"

    • Description:

      Zevi is an alternative transcription of the Hebrew name Zvi or Tzvi, the latter of which is a Top 100 pick in Israel. It's a cool, sharp-sounding name which would make for a great distinctive alternative to Levi.
  17. Ziska

    • Description:

      Ziska is an uncommon feminine name with historical roots. It likely originated as a diminutive form of the Czech name Zikmund (Sigismund in English). The name gained some historical recognition through Jan Žižka, the famous 15th-century Hussite military leader from Bohemia. As a feminine name, Ziska has remained quite rare internationally, appearing occasionally in Czech, German, and other Central European cultures. In modern usage, the name may appeal to parents seeking a distinctive name with Slavic heritage. Ziska has a melodic quality with its 'z' sound and crisp ending, though its rarity means many may be unfamiliar with its pronunciation or cultural associations.

  18. Zahava

    • Origin:

      Modern Hebrew name

    • Description:

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

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "brilliance"

    • Description:

      Also a synonym for the Hebrew month of Iyar, which usuually falls in May, would work and play well with others like Zev and Lev.
  20. Zeta

    • Origin:

      Variation of Zita or Greek letter name

    • Description:

      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.

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