Boys' name · since 1973

Zef

44 babies named Zef in U.S. Social Security records since 1973, with the highest year being 1973. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#23,135 of 45,481
all-time among boys
44
born since 1973
2010s
peak decade

44 boys have been named Zef since 1973, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

Social Security Administration records show Zef recorded 44 times among boys since 1973, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, 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 1973 to 2023.

  • #23,135 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 44 born since 1973
  • 2010s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zef ranks #23,135 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 44 born since 1973, peaking in the 2010s.

#23,135 of 45,481
all-time among boys
44
born since 1973
2010s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Zef's 44 recorded births place it above 49.13% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Zef's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Zef's SSA record in two at 2000 and the more recent half accounts for 52% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 48%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1983, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1973 peak of 6, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Zef popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1973–2023

Last recorded 2023
Peak year (1973)
6
Annual births at peak, across 51 years of records
4.555.566.5 19731983198619942000201120132023 5

Zef by decade

2010s is the heaviest window (12 births, 27% of the file).

2010s was Zef's strongest decade.

12 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.

Zef births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 2010s at 12 births (27% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Zef? ▼
Since 1973, Social Security records show 44 babies named Zef. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #23,135 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 2023. Its busiest year on record was 1973, with 6 births.
Where does Zef sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zef ranks #23,135 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Zef most popular? ▼
Zef was most popular in the 2010s decade with 12 total births. The single peak year was 1973.
How long has the name Zef been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Zef since 1973 -- 51 years through the most recent 2023 data.
What names are similar to Zef? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zeferino, Zefram. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Zef's data

  • Zef's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (12 total births) through the 2020s (5) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Zef

Nearby Names Like Zef

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zef

Zeferino Boy
330 births
Zefram Boy
10 births

Compare Zef side by side: Zef vs Zeferino Zef vs Zefram

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Orba
44 births · Peak 1912
Jonie
44 births · Peak 1926
Bertice
44 births · Peak 1914
Moir
44 births · Peak 1924
Niilo
44 births · Peak 1916
Arpad
44 births · Peak 1919
Eppie
44 births · Peak 1950
Leburn
44 births · Peak 1919

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Zef: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1973–2023 (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 Zef 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.