Unisex name · since 1969
Zen
Zen has 2,718 recorded births since 1969 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2022 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,711 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,143 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,718
- born since 1969
- 2020s
- peak decade
Yes -- Zen is the #1143 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 2,718 recorded since 1969.
Social Security Administration records show Zen recorded 2,718 times among boys since 1969, holding rank #1143 nationally today, ahead of 92% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1969 to 2025.
- #2,711 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,143 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 2,718 born since 1969
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zen ranks #2,711 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,143 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 2,718 born since 1969, peaking in the 2020s.
- #2,711 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,143 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,718
- born since 1969
- 2020s
- peak decade
Zen's 2,718 recorded births place it above 94.03% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
23 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Zen compares
2,718 Top 19% higher than 81% 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
Zen's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zen | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,718 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 256 | 34 | 22,252 |
Zen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Zen's SSA record in two at 2006 and the more recent half accounts for 85% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 15%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1969, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2022 peak of 256, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Zen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1969–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 256
- Annual births at peak, across 57 years of records
Zen popularity over time - girls
595 total births recorded since 1998 (Zen as girls' name)
Zen by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (1,247 births, 46% of the file).
2020s was Zen's strongest decade.
1,247 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Zen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1980s 11
1980s
11 births
- 1990s 152
1990s
152 births
- 2000s 492
2000s
492 births
- 2010s
2010s
811 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,247 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 1,247 births (46% of all-time use).
How Zen 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 Zen's total volume
Zen by state
Where Zen concentrates geographically, total births since 1969
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 426 | 15.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 191 | 7.0% |
| #3 | Florida | | 176 | 6.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 165 | 6.1% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 84 | 3.1% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 55 | 2.0% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 49 | 1.8% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 47 | 1.7% |
426 of 2,718 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 23 reporting states.
Zen appears in 23 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Zen's data
- California records the most Zens (426 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Zen
Nearby Names Like Zen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zen
Compare Zen side by side: Zen vs Zeno Zen vs Zenon Zen vs Zenas
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zen
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Zen: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2022)
Similar record span (~56 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, 1969–2025 (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 Zen 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.