Zen
Girl name · #3559 in 2025 · Uniqueness 78/100
In 2025, 43 baby girls were named Zen, placing it at #3559 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #5653, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 41,860 girls born in 2025 was named Zen.
Babies named Zen per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 27-year story
Zen first appears in the Social Security records in 1998, when 5 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 65 babies and a rank of #2661. 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 Zen against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Zen in class?
Zen scores 78 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Zen will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Zen is most common
Geography matters for names, and Zen is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Zens were CA (6), NY (5), TX (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Zen
Statistically, parents drawn to Zen tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cohen, Ren, Amen, Rin, and Chozen.
CohenRenAmenRinChozenBowenSevenAuden
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Zen | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 43 | #3517 |
| 2024 | 41 | #3695 |
| 2023 | 60 | #2823 |
| 2022 | 65 | #2661 |
| 2021 | 52 | #3112 |
| 2020 | 48 | #3221 |
| 2019 | 46 | #3388 |
| 2018 | 30 | #4562 |
| 2017 | 24 | #5338 |
| 2016 | 25 | #5284 |
| 2015 | 23 | #5653 |
| 2014 | 11 | #9517 |
| 2013 | 9 | #11000 |
| 2012 | 15 | #7804 |
| 2011 | 13 | #8614 |
| 2010 | 13 | #8701 |
| 2009 | 9 | #11459 |
| 2008 | 8 | #12579 |
| 2007 | 22 | #6093 |
| 2006 | 6 | #15152 |
| 2004 | 10 | #9892 |
| 2003 | 5 | #15784 |
| 2002 | 6 | #13595 |
| 2000 | 6 | #13154 |
| 1998 | 5 | #14122 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Zen a popular girl name?
Zen ranked #3559 among girls in 2025 with 43 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5653.
When was the name Zen most popular?
Zen peaked in 2022, when 65 American girls received the name (ranked #2661 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Zen?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 41,860 newborn American girls was named Zen. It scores 78/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
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.