Boys' name · since 2004
Zael
Zael has 673 recorded births since 2004 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2025 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6,606 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,381 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 673
- born since 2004
- 2020s
- peak decade
673 babies have been named Zael since 2004, making it today's #1381 boys' name.
Zael has 673 recorded births among boys since 2004, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1381 as of the latest data, more common than 90% of boys, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2004 to 2025.
- #6,606 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,381 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 673 born since 2004
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zael ranks #6,606 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,381 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 673 born since 2004, peaking in the 2020s.
- #6,606 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,381 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 673
- born since 2004
- 2020s
- peak decade
Zael's 673 recorded births place it above 85.47% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
9 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Zael compares
673 Top 38% higher than 62% of 13,930 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
Zael's all-time total is 82% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zael | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 673 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 134 | 34 | 22,252 |
Zael's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Zael's full recorded timeline at 2015, 86% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 14% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 2005, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2025 peak of 134 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Zael popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2004–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 134
- Annual births at peak, across 22 years of records
Currently ranks #1381 among boys.
673 total births across 22 years of SSA records. Peaked in 2025 with 134 births in a single year.
Zael popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 2025 (Zael as girls' name)
Unisex use remains the minority pattern
The girls' variant of Zael accounts for 1% of total recorded use across both genders.
Zael by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (445 births, 66% of the file).
2020s was Zael's strongest decade.
445 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 66% of all-time use.
Zael births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2000s 46
2000s
46 births
- 2010s
2010s
182 births
- 2020s
2020s
445 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 445 births (66% of all-time use).
Zael decade highlights
- Peak decade 445 births
- Runner-up 182 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
How Zael 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 Zael's total volume
Zael by state
Where Zael concentrates geographically, total births since 2004
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 104 | 15.5% |
| #2 | California | | 77 | 11.4% |
| #3 | Florida | | 32 | 4.8% |
| #4 | New York | | 28 | 4.2% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 22 | 3.3% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 17 | 2.5% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 10 | 1.5% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 6 | 0.9% |
104 of 673 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Top 5 states
- Texas 15.5% of nationwide
- California 11.4% of nationwide
- Florida 4.8% of nationwide
- New York 4.2% of nationwide
- Arizona 3.3% of nationwide
Recorded in 9 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
Texas accounts for 15.5% of all recorded births nationwide - a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Zael appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zael? ▼
Where does Zael sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Zael most popular? ▼
Where is Zael most popular? ▼
How long has the name Zael been used? ▼
What names are similar to Zael? ▼
What to do with Zael's data
- Texas records the most Zaels (104 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Zael
Nearby Names Like Zael
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zael
Compare Zael side by side: Zael vs Zaedyn Zael vs Zaeden Zael vs Zaelyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zael
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Zael: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~21 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 2004–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Zael 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 August 2026.
Published by
NameAlmanac
Independent public-data reference that compiles, verifies, and contextualizes official datasets. We do not accept compensation from entities we cover, and every dataset cites its originating public source.