Total births
5,986
Girls' name · since 1880
Zena
5,986 babies named Zena in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1964. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2265
- among girls today
- 5,986
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other girls
Zena currently ranks #2265 among girls' names in America, with 5,986 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zena has been recorded 5,986 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #2265 nationally and more common than 87% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2265 among girls today
- 5,986 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
- 87% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Zena is currently the #2265 girls' name in America, more common than 87% of girls - 5,986 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #2265
- among girls today
- 5,986
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other girls
Zena vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2265
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 87% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Zena was born in this single decade.
1964
Single peak year
222 babies were named Zena in 1964 - its busiest year on record.
How Zena compares
5,986 Top 12% higher than 88% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Zena's all-time total is 16x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zena | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,986 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 222 | 48 | 19,840 |
Zena's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Zena splits its recorded history at 1953: 72% of all births land in the more recent half, 28% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1881 (6 births) -- compare that against the 1964 peak of 222 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Zena at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1964
Current rank
#2,265
Active since
1880
Zena popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1964)
- 222
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Zena by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Zena's strongest decade.
1,041 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Zena births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 77
1880s
77 births
- 1890s 133
1890s
133 births
- 1900s 155
1900s
155 births
- 1910s 347
1910s
347 births
- 1920s
1920s
432 births
- 1930s 229
1930s
229 births
- 1940s 207
1940s
207 births
- 1950s 283
1950s
283 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,041 births
- 1970s 343
1970s
343 births
- 1980s
1980s
509 births
- 1990s
1990s
735 births
- 2000s 411
2000s
411 births
- 2010s
2010s
585 births
- 2020s
2020s
499 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 1,041 births (17% of all-time use).
How Zena compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Zena's total volume
Zena vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Zena by state
Where Zena concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 492 | 8.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 489 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 242 | 4.0% |
| #4 | Florida | | 118 | 2.0% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 95 | 1.6% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 88 | 1.5% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 76 | 1.3% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 72 | 1.2% |
California share of Zena's total US births 8.2%
Even split
492 of 5,986 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Zena appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zena? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 5,986 babies named Zena. Today it holds rank #2265 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1964, with 222 births.
When was Zena most popular? ▼
Zena was most popular in the 1960s decade with 1,041 total births. The single peak year was 1964.
Where is Zena most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Zena are California (492 births), New York (489 births), Texas (242 births).
How long has the name Zena been used? ▼
Zena has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Zena? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zenobia, Zendaya, Zenaida, Zenia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Zena's data
- Zena's usage has stayed within range of its 1960s decade-level peak (1,041 total births) through the 2020s (499) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Zenas (492 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Zena
Nearby Names Like Zena
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zena
Zenobia Girl
#4390 4,592 births
Zendaya Girl
#943 3,873 births
Zenaida Girl
#3232 2,972 births
Zenia Girl
#6661 1,770 births
Zen Girl
#3742 595 births
Compare Zena side by side: Zena vs Zenobia Zena vs Zendaya Zena vs Zenaida
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zena
Aithana #2264
493 births · Peak 2025
Delta #2266
4,368 births · Peak 2019
Kenzley #2263
1,845 births · Peak 2020
Laina #2267
3,569 births · Peak 2014
Hudson #2262
1,882 births · Peak 2016
Jacquelyn #2268
85,197 births · Peak 1951
Rahma #2261
1,532 births · Peak 2016
Everlyn #2269
1,438 births · Peak 2023
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Zena: #2265 Girls' Name - 5,986 Births, Peak 1964." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/zena. 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 Zena 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 June 2026.