Total births
1,354
Girls' name · since 1888
Zeta
1,354 babies named Zeta in U.S. Social Security records since 1888, with the highest year being 2005. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8971
- among girls today
- 1,354
- born since 1888
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other girls
Zeta currently ranks #8971 among girls' names in America, with 1,354 babies recorded since 1888.
Zeta has 1,354 recorded births among girls since 1888, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #8971 as of the latest data, more common than 49% of girls, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 2025.
- #8971 among girls today
- 1,354 born since 1888
- 2000s peak decade
- 49% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Zeta is currently the #8971 girls' name in America, more common than 49% of girls - 1,354 born since 1888, peaking in the 2000s.
- #8971
- among girls today
- 1,354
- born since 1888
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other girls
Zeta vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8971
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 49% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Zeta was born in this single decade.
2005
Single peak year
33 babies were named Zeta in 2005 - its busiest year on record.
How Zeta compares
1,354 Top 27% higher than 73% 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
Zeta's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zeta | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,354 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 33 | 48 | 19,840 |
Zeta's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Zeta's full recorded timeline at 1945, 52% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 48% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1888, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2005 peak of 33 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Zeta at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2005
Current rank
#8,971
Active since
1888
Zeta popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–2025
- Peak year (2005)
- 33
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Zeta by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Zeta's strongest decade.
234 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Zeta births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 56
1890s
56 births
- 1900s 87
1900s
87 births
- 1910s
1910s
141 births
- 1920s
1920s
189 births
- 1930s
1930s
138 births
- 1940s 77
1940s
77 births
- 1950s 69
1950s
69 births
- 1960s 74
1960s
74 births
- 1970s 14
1970s
14 births
- 1990s 12
1990s
12 births
- 2000s
2000s
234 births
- 2010s
2010s
171 births
- 2020s 87
2020s
87 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 234 births (17% of all-time use).
How Zeta 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 Zeta's total volume
Zeta vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Zeta by state
Where Zeta concentrates geographically, total births since 1888
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 10 | 0.7% |
| #2 | Florida | | 8 | 0.6% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 6 | 0.4% |
Texas share of Zeta's total US births 0.7%
Even split
10 of 1,354 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zeta? ▼
1,354 babies have been named Zeta since 1888. It currently ranks #8971 among girls. The peak year was 2005 with 33 births.
When was Zeta most popular? ▼
Zeta was most popular in the 2000s decade with 234 total births. The single peak year was 2005.
Where is Zeta most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Zeta are Texas (10 births), Florida (8 births), Pennsylvania (6 births).
How long has the name Zeta been used? ▼
Zeta has been recorded in Social Security data since 1888, spanning 138 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Zeta? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zetta, Zettie, Zetha. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Zeta's data
- Zeta's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (234 total births) through the 2020s (87) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Zetas (10 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Zeta
Nearby Names Like Zeta
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zeta
Compare Zeta side by side: Zeta vs Zetta Zeta vs Zettie Zeta vs Zetha
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zeta
Marjory #8970
8,172 births · Peak 1921
Lawrence #8972
2,187 births · Peak 1927
Levie #8969
207 births · Peak 1912
Roe #8973
210 births · Peak 2023
Genoveva #8968
2,577 births · Peak 1925
Katheryne #8974
2,117 births · Peak 1992
Temple #8967
1,568 births · Peak 1971
Gypsy #8975
1,501 births · Peak 2020
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, 1888–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Zeta: #8971 Girls' Name - 1,354 Births, Peak 2005." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/zeta. 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 Zeta 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.