Total births
551,752
Boys' name · since 1900
Zachary
551,752 babies named Zachary in U.S. Social Security records since 1900, with the highest year being 1993. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #194
- among boys today
- 551,752
- born since 1900
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
Zachary currently ranks #194 among boys' names in America, with 551,752 babies recorded since 1900.
Zachary has 551,752 recorded births among boys since 1900, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #194 as of the latest data, more common than 99% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1900 to 2025.
- #194 among boys today
- 551,752 born since 1900
- 1990s peak decade
- 99% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Zachary is currently the #194 boys' name in America, more common than 99% of boys - 551,752 born since 1900, peaking in the 1990s.
- #194
- among boys today
- 551,752
- born since 1900
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
Zachary vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#194
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Zachary was born in this single decade.
1993
Single peak year
25,538 babies were named Zachary in 1993 - its busiest year on record.
How Zachary compares
551,752 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Zachary's all-time total is 1,503x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zachary | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 551,752 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 25,538 | 23 | 22,252 |
Zachary's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Zachary's SSA record in two at 1968 and the more recent half accounts for 99% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 1%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1900, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1993 peak of 25,538, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Zachary at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1993
Current rank
#194
Active since
1900
Zachary popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1900–2025
- Peak year (1993)
- 25,538
- Annual births at peak, across 126 years of records
Zachary popularity over time - girls
1,529 total births recorded since 1960 (Zachary as girls' name)
Zachary by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Zachary's strongest decade.
225,290 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Zachary births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 6
1900s
6 births
- 1910s 109
1910s
109 births
- 1920s 168
1920s
168 births
- 1930s 142
1930s
142 births
- 1940s 404
1940s
404 births
- 1950s 2,169
1950s
2,169 births
- 1960s 3,476
1960s
3,476 births
- 1970s 19,060
1970s
19,060 births
- 1980s
1980s
101,818 births
- 1990s
1990s
225,290 births
- 2000s
2000s
134,756 births
- 2010s 51,146
2010s
51,146 births
- 2020s 13,208
2020s
13,208 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 225,290 births (41% of all-time use).
How Zachary compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Zachary's total volume
Zachary vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Zachary by state
Where Zachary concentrates geographically, total births since 1900
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 45,231 | 8.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 36,956 | 6.7% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 29,944 | 5.4% |
| #4 | New York | | 29,921 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 28,942 | 5.2% |
| #6 | Florida | | 25,072 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 24,953 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 22,234 | 4.0% |
California share of Zachary's total US births 8.2%
Even split
45,231 of 551,752 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Zachary appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zachary? ▼
551,752 babies have been named Zachary since 1900. It currently ranks #194 among boys. The peak year was 1993 with 25,538 births.
When was Zachary most popular? ▼
Zachary was most popular in the 1990s decade with 225,290 total births. The single peak year was 1993.
Where is Zachary most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Zachary are California (45,231 births), Texas (36,956 births), Ohio (29,944 births).
How long has the name Zachary been used? ▼
Zachary has been recorded in Social Security data since 1900, spanning 126 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Zachary? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zackary, Zachariah, Zachery, Zackery, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Zachary's data
- Zachary's decade-level peak was the 1990s (225,290 total births); usage has since declined to 13,208 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Zacharys (45,231 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Zachary
Nearby Names Like Zachary
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zachary
Zackary Boy
#1416 31,593 births
Zachariah Boy
#568 31,238 births
Zachery Boy
#2510 29,836 births
Zackery Boy
#3547 17,748 births
Zack Boy
#1389 9,012 births
Compare Zachary side by side: Zachary vs Zackary Zachary vs Zachariah Zachary vs Zachery
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zachary
Camden #193
59,178 births · Peak 2013
Tatum #195
13,225 births · Peak 2024
Peter #192
589,588 births · Peak 1957
Kevin #196
1,184,507 births · Peak 1963
Tyler #191
603,970 births · Peak 1994
Andres #197
96,284 births · Peak 2007
Brayden #190
136,548 births · Peak 2010
Finn #198
34,949 births · Peak 2017
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1900–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Zachary: #194 Boys' Name - 551,752 Births, Peak 1993." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/zachary. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Zachary draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.