Boys' name · since 1891
Zebulon
Since 1891, U.S. Social Security records show 2,149 babies named Zebulon, peaking in 1979. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3,153 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,865 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,149
- born since 1891
- 1980s
- peak decade
2,149 babies have been named Zebulon since 1891, making it today's #4865 boys' name.
Zebulon has 2,149 recorded births among boys since 1891, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4865 as of the latest data, more common than 65% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1891 to 2025.
- #3,153 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,865 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 2,149 born since 1891
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zebulon ranks #3,153 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,865 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 2,149 born since 1891, peaking in the 1980s.
- #3,153 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,865 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,149
- born since 1891
- 1980s
- peak decade
Zebulon's 2,149 recorded births place it above 93.06% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
16 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by North Carolina.
How Zebulon compares
2,149 Top 21% higher than 79% 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
Zebulon's all-time total is 6x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zebulon | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,149 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 125 | 34 | 22,252 |
Zebulon's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Zebulon splits its recorded history at 1991: 49% of all births land in the more recent half, 51% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1917 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1979 peak of 125 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Zebulon popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1891–2025
- Peak year (1979)
- 125
- Annual births at peak, across 135 years of records
Zebulon by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (610 births, 28% of the file).
1980s was Zebulon's strongest decade.
610 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Zebulon births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 6
1890s
6 births
- 1910s 19
1910s
19 births
- 1920s 19
1920s
19 births
- 1930s 9
1930s
9 births
- 1940s 18
1940s
18 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1960s 16
1960s
16 births
- 1970s
1970s
341 births
- 1980s
1980s
610 births
- 1990s
1990s
416 births
- 2000s
2000s
281 births
- 2010s
2010s
272 births
- 2020s 137
2020s
137 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 610 births (28% of all-time use).
How Zebulon 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 Zebulon's total volume
Zebulon by state
Where Zebulon concentrates geographically, total births since 1891
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 128 | 6.0% |
| #2 | California | | 38 | 1.8% |
| #3 | Texas | | 23 | 1.1% |
| #4 | Colorado | | 22 | 1.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 18 | 0.8% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 13 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Minnesota | | 12 | 0.6% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 11 | 0.5% |
128 of 2,149 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Zebulon appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zebulon? ▼
Where does Zebulon sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Zebulon most popular? ▼
Where is Zebulon most popular? ▼
How long has the name Zebulon been used? ▼
What names are similar to Zebulon? ▼
What to do with Zebulon's data
- Zebulon's decade-level peak was the 1980s (610 total births); usage has since declined to 137 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Zebulons (128 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 Zebulon
Nearby Names Like Zebulon
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zebulon
Compare Zebulon side by side: Zebulon vs Zeb Zebulon vs Zebedee Zebulon vs Zebadiah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zebulon
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Zebulon: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1979)
Similar record span (~134 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, 1891–2025 (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 Zebulon 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.