Zeal
Boy name · #3741 in 2025 · Uniqueness 48/100
Zeal ranks #3741 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 30 newborns given the name that year. It has appeared in the national data since 2006. Roughly one in every 60,000 boys born in 2025 was named Zeal.
Babies named Zeal per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 19-year story
Zeal first appears in the Social Security records in 2006, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 30 babies and a rank of #3658. 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 Zeal against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Zeal in class?
Zeal scores 48 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Zeal is most common
State-level data for Zeal is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Zeal
Statistically, parents drawn to Zeal tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Zyel, Nihaal, Zay, Zael, and Azul.
ZyelNihaalZayZaelAzulZadkielKaielZuko
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Zeal | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #3658 |
| 2024 | 25 | #4200 |
| 2023 | 21 | #4742 |
| 2022 | 12 | #6828 |
| 2021 | 11 | #7089 |
| 2020 | 10 | #7502 |
| 2019 | 14 | #6104 |
| 2018 | 8 | #8819 |
| 2016 | 9 | #8146 |
| 2014 | 11 | #7048 |
| 2013 | 6 | #10728 |
| 2010 | 6 | #10766 |
| 2009 | 6 | #10994 |
| 2006 | 6 | #10662 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Zeal a popular boy name?
Zeal ranked #3741 among boys in 2025 with 30 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked outside the reported range.
When was the name Zeal most popular?
Zeal peaked in 2025, when 30 American boys received the name (ranked #3658 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Zeal?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 60,000 newborn American boys was named Zeal. It scores 48/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify 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.