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.
- #6,528 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,734 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 687
- born since 1949
- 2010s
- peak decade
Zalman currently ranks #4734 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 #4734 as of the latest data, more common than 66% 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.
- #6,528 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,734 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 687 born since 1949
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zalman ranks #6,528 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,734 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 687 born since 1949, peaking in the 2010s.
- #6,528 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,734 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 687
- born since 1949
- 2010s
- peak decade
Zalman's 687 recorded births place it above 85.64% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by New York.
How Zalman compares
687 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
Zalman's all-time total is 86% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zalman | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 687 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 27 | 34 | 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 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
2010s is the heaviest window (162 births, 24% of the file).
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 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% |
352 of 687 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
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
Compare Zalman side by side: Zalman vs Zalmen Zalman vs Zalen Zalman vs Zale
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zalman
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Zalman: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2021)
Similar record span (~76 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, 1949–2025 (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 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 August 2026.