Total births
687
Boys' name · since 1949
Zalman
Zalman has 687 recorded births since 1949 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2021 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4345
- among boys today
- 687
- born since 1949
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other boys
Zalman currently ranks #4345 among boys' names in America, with 687 babies recorded since 1949.
Zalman has 687 recorded births among boys since 1949, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4345 as of the latest data, more common than 70% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1949 to 2025.
- #4345 among boys today
- 687 born since 1949
- 2010s peak decade
- 70% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Zalman is currently the #4345 boys' name in America, more common than 70% of boys - 687 born since 1949, peaking in the 2010s.
- #4345
- among boys today
- 687
- born since 1949
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other boys
Zalman vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4345
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 70% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Zalman was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
27 babies were named Zalman in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Zalman compares
687 Top 37% higher than 63% 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
Zalman's all-time total is 87% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zalman | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 687 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 27 | 23 | 22,252 |
Zalman's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Zalman's full recorded timeline at 1996, 69% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 31% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1954, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2021 peak of 27 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Zalman at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2021
Current rank
#4,345
Active since
1949
Zalman popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1949–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 27
- Annual births at peak, across 77 years of records
Zalman by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Zalman's strongest decade.
162 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Zalman births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 6
1940s
6 births
- 1950s 10
1950s
10 births
- 1960s 21
1960s
21 births
- 1970s 47
1970s
47 births
- 1980s
1980s
76 births
- 1990s
1990s
98 births
- 2000s
2000s
138 births
- 2010s
2010s
162 births
- 2020s
2020s
129 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 162 births (24% of all-time use).
How Zalman 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 Zalman's total volume
Zalman vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Zalman by state
Where Zalman concentrates geographically, total births since 1949
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 352 | 51.2% |
| #2 | New Jersey | | 56 | 8.2% |
New York share of Zalman's total US births 51.2%
Even split
352 of 687 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zalman? ▼
687 babies have been named Zalman since 1949. It currently ranks #4345 among boys. The peak year was 2021 with 27 births.
When was Zalman most popular? ▼
Zalman was most popular in the 2010s decade with 162 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Zalman most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Zalman are New York (352 births), New Jersey (56 births).
How long has the name Zalman been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Zalman since 1949 -- 77 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Zalman? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zalmen, Zalen, Zale, Zalyn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Zalman's data
- Zalman's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (162 total births) through the 2020s (129) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Zalmans (352 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Zalman
Nearby Names Like Zalman
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zalman
Zalmen Boy
#3297 682 births
Zalen Boy
#2552 482 births
Zale Boy
#7331 188 births
Zalyn Boy
#11610 103 births
Zalan Boy
#13227 77 births
Compare Zalman side by side: Zalman vs Zalmen Zalman vs Zalen Zalman vs Zale
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zalman
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1949–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Zalman: #4345 Boys' Name - 687 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/zalman. 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 Zalman 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 July 2026.