Zainab
Girl name · #808 in 2025 · Uniqueness 51/100
Zainab ranks #808 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 338 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #941, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 5,325 girls born in 2025 was named Zainab.
Babies named Zainab per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 68-year story
Zainab first appears in the Social Security records in 1957, when 5 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 338 babies and a rank of #807. 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 Zainab against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Zainab in class?
Zainab scores 51 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 Zainab is most common
Geography matters for names, and Zainab is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Zainabs were NY (50), MI (33), TX (32), CA (31), IL (31). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Zainab
Statistically, parents drawn to Zainab tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Zaynab, Zaira, Quincy, Keziah, and Zaina.
ZaynabZairaQuincyKeziahZainaZahraSorayaSamira
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Zainab | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 338 | #807 |
| 2024 | 319 | #848 |
| 2023 | 307 | #876 |
| 2022 | 298 | #918 |
| 2021 | 280 | #942 |
| 2020 | 264 | #964 |
| 2019 | 294 | #904 |
| 2018 | 280 | #948 |
| 2017 | 308 | #883 |
| 2016 | 301 | #915 |
| 2015 | 288 | #941 |
| 2014 | 302 | #898 |
| 2013 | 260 | #968 |
| 2012 | 247 | #1026 |
| 2011 | 219 | #1120 |
| 2010 | 221 | #1115 |
| 2009 | 212 | #1184 |
| 2008 | 193 | #1286 |
| 2007 | 171 | #1396 |
| 2006 | 178 | #1314 |
| 2005 | 168 | #1314 |
| 2004 | 170 | #1264 |
| 2003 | 154 | #1328 |
| 2002 | 146 | #1328 |
| 2001 | 164 | #1231 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Zainab a popular girl name?
Zainab ranked #808 among girls in 2025 with 338 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #941.
When was the name Zainab most popular?
Zainab peaked in 2025, when 338 American girls received the name (ranked #807 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Zainab?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 5,325 newborn American girls was named Zainab. It scores 51/100 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.