Zena
Girl name · #2440 in 2025 · Very rare
Zena is currently the #2440 girl name in the United States — 73 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2964, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 24,658 girls born in 2025 was named Zena.
The 145-year story
Zena first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1964, when 222 girls were named Zena — good for #689 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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.
Babies named Zena per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Zena against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Zena in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Zena is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Zena will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Zena is most common
State-level data for Zena is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Zena
Statistically, parents drawn to Zena tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Rena, Rina, Moira, Rana, and Martina.
RenaRinaMoiraRanaMartinaGalaMarlenaLorena
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Zena | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 73 | #2438 |
| 2024 | 82 | #2265 |
| 2023 | 87 | #2176 |
| 2022 | 90 | #2123 |
| 2021 | 84 | #2212 |
| 2020 | 83 | #2170 |
| 2019 | 90 | #2090 |
| 2018 | 74 | #2419 |
| 2017 | 82 | #2268 |
| 2016 | 50 | #3229 |
| 2015 | 58 | #2964 |
| 2014 | 56 | #3005 |
| 2013 | 46 | #3404 |
| 2012 | 48 | #3364 |
| 2011 | 40 | #3781 |
| 2010 | 41 | #3745 |
| 2009 | 33 | #4482 |
| 2008 | 39 | #4006 |
| 2007 | 44 | #3653 |
| 2006 | 33 | #4358 |
| 2005 | 47 | #3257 |
| 2004 | 40 | #3631 |
| 2003 | 40 | #3532 |
| 2002 | 45 | #3146 |
| 2001 | 46 | #3046 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Zena a popular girl name?
Zena ranked #2440 among girls in 2025 with 73 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2964.
When was the name Zena most popular?
Zena peaked in 1964, when 222 American girls received the name (ranked #689 that year). Since 1964 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Zena?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 24,658 newborn American girls was named Zena. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very 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.