Boys' name · since 1997
Zalen
482 babies named Zalen in U.S. Social Security records since 1997, with the highest year being 2024. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8,080 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,509 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 482
- born since 1997
- 2010s
- peak decade
Zalen currently ranks #5509 among boys' names in America, with 482 babies recorded since 1997.
Social Security Administration records show Zalen recorded 482 times among boys since 1997, holding rank #5509 nationally today, ahead of 60% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1997 to 2025.
- #8,080 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #5,509 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 482 born since 1997
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zalen ranks #8,080 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,509 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 482 born since 1997, peaking in the 2010s.
- #8,080 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,509 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 482
- born since 1997
- 2010s
- peak decade
Zalen's 482 recorded births place it above 82.23% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by North Carolina.
How Zalen compares
482 Top 45% higher than 55% 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
Zalen's all-time total is 31% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zalen | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 482 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 53 | 34 | 22,252 |
Zalen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Zalen's full recorded timeline at 2012, 60% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 40% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1997, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2024 peak of 53 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Zalen popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1997–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 53
- Annual births at peak, across 29 years of records
Zalen by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (213 births, 44% of the file).
2010s was Zalen's strongest decade.
213 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 44% of all-time use.
Zalen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 6
1990s
6 births
- 2000s
2000s
134 births
- 2010s
2010s
213 births
- 2020s
2020s
129 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 213 births (44% of all-time use).
Zalen by state
Where Zalen concentrates geographically, total births since 1997
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 11 | 2.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 10 | 2.1% |
| #3 | California | | 8 | 1.7% |
| #4 | Florida | | 5 | 1.0% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 5 | 1.0% |
11 of 482 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Zalen's data
- Zalen's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (213 total births) through the 2020s (129) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- North Carolina records the most Zalens (11 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Zalen
Nearby Names Like Zalen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zalen
Compare Zalen side by side: Zalen vs Zalman Zalen vs Zalmen Zalen vs Zale
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zalen
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Zalen: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2024)
Similar record span (~28 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, 1997–2025 (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 Zalen 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.