Total births
163,256
Girls' name · since 1880
Zoe
Zoe has 163,256 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2012 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #29
- among girls today
- 163,256
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other girls
Zoe currently ranks #29 among girls' names in America, with 163,256 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zoe has been recorded 163,256 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #29 nationally and more common than 99.8% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. 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.
- #29 among girls today
- 163,256 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.8% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Zoe is currently the #29 girls' name in America, more common than 99.8% of girls - 163,256 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #29
- among girls today
- 163,256
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other girls
Zoe vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#29
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.8% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Zoe was born in this single decade.
2012
Single peak year
6,466 babies were named Zoe in 2012 - its busiest year on record.
How Zoe compares
163,256 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Zoe's all-time total is 427x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zoe | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 163,256 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 6,466 | 48 | 19,840 |
Zoe's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Zoe's full recorded timeline at 1953, 98% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 2% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1903, with just 19 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2012 peak of 6,466 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Zoe at a glance
Top 100 girls' namePeak year
2012
Current rank
#29
Active since
1880
Zoe popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2012)
- 6,466
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Zoe popularity over time - boys
597 total births recorded since 1970 (Zoe as boys' name)
Zoe by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Zoe's strongest decade.
58,094 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Zoe births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 281
1880s
281 births
- 1890s 323
1890s
323 births
- 1900s 239
1900s
239 births
- 1910s 466
1910s
466 births
- 1920s 694
1920s
694 births
- 1930s 735
1930s
735 births
- 1940s 569
1940s
569 births
- 1950s 1,109
1950s
1,109 births
- 1960s 952
1960s
952 births
- 1970s 1,120
1970s
1,120 births
- 1980s 1,999
1980s
1,999 births
- 1990s 16,791
1990s
16,791 births
- 2000s
2000s
48,755 births
- 2010s
2010s
58,094 births
- 2020s
2020s
31,129 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 58,094 births (36% of all-time use).
How Zoe 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 Zoe's total volume
Zoe vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Zoe by state
Where Zoe concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 22,580 | 13.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 17,824 | 10.9% |
| #3 | New York | | 11,215 | 6.9% |
| #4 | Florida | | 8,454 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 6,290 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 5,288 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 4,886 | 3.0% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 4,722 | 2.9% |
California share of Zoe's total US births 13.8%
Even split
22,580 of 163,256 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Zoe appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zoe? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 163,256 babies named Zoe. Today it holds rank #29 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2012, with 6,466 births.
When was Zoe most popular? ▼
Zoe was most popular in the 2010s decade with 58,094 total births. The single peak year was 2012.
Where is Zoe most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Zoe are California (22,580 births), Texas (17,824 births), New York (11,215 births).
How long has the name Zoe been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Zoe since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Zoe? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zoey, Zoee, Zoei, Zoelle, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Zoe's data
- Zoe's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (58,094 total births) through the 2020s (31,129) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Zoes (22,580 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 Zoe
Nearby Names Like Zoe
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zoe
Zoey Girl
#59 115,332 births
Zoee Girl
#5227 2,128 births
Zoei Girl
#5378 996 births
Zoelle Girl
#4094 686 births
Zoella Girl
#5996 311 births
Compare Zoe side by side: Zoe vs Zoey Zoe vs Zoee Zoe vs Zoei
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zoe
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. "Zoe: #29 Girls' Name - 163,256 Births, Peak 2012." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/zoe. 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 Zoe 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.