Zakai
Boy name · #563 in 2025 · Distinctive
In 2025, 528 baby boys were named Zakai, placing it at #563 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1555, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,409 boys born in 2025 was named Zakai.
Babies named Zakai per year. Source: SSA.
The 27-year story
Zakai first appears in the Social Security records in 1998, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 528 babies and a rank of #563. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Zakai against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Zakai in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Zakai is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Zakai is most common
Geography matters for names, and Zakai is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Zakai is most common in GA (0.7 per 1,000), MO (0.6 per 1,000), LA (0.6 per 1,000), SC (0.6 per 1,000), WI (0.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Zakai is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Zakai
Statistically, parents drawn to Zakai tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jakai, Makai, Sakai, Kenai, and Jahkai.
JakaiMakaiSakaiKenaiJahkaiMalakaiAlakaiAkai
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Zakai | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 528 | #563 |
| 2024 | 473 | #604 |
| 2023 | 415 | #659 |
| 2022 | 374 | #705 |
| 2021 | 314 | #785 |
| 2020 | 249 | #902 |
| 2019 | 244 | #897 |
| 2018 | 242 | #894 |
| 2017 | 185 | #1066 |
| 2016 | 142 | #1279 |
| 2015 | 104 | #1555 |
| 2014 | 84 | #1781 |
| 2013 | 95 | #1613 |
| 2012 | 89 | #1697 |
| 2011 | 64 | #2077 |
| 2010 | 62 | #2144 |
| 2009 | 61 | #2183 |
| 2008 | 51 | #2467 |
| 2007 | 61 | #2185 |
| 2006 | 65 | #2037 |
| 2005 | 43 | #2567 |
| 2004 | 36 | #2843 |
| 2003 | 21 | #3976 |
| 2002 | 9 | #7055 |
| 2001 | 17 | #4476 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Zakai a popular boy name?
Zakai ranked #563 among boys in 2025 with 528 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1555.
When was the name Zakai most popular?
Zakai peaked in 2025, when 528 American boys received the name (ranked #563 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Zakai?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,409 newborn American boys was named Zakai. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.