Zen
Boy name · #1143 in 2025 · Uniqueness 60/100
Zen ranks #1143 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 185 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1931, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,730 boys born in 2025 was named Zen.
The 56-year story
Zen first appears in the Social Security records in 1969, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 256 babies and a rank of #905. 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.
Babies named Zen per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Zen against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Zen in class?
Zen scores 60 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 Zen is most common
Geography matters for names, and Zen is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Zens were CA (21), NY (21), FL (17), TX (17), GA (14). 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 Aizen, Hazen, Ren, Wren, and Seven.
AizenHazenRenWrenSevenKyzenZaylenZyon
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Zen | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 185 | #1141 |
| 2024 | 238 | #955 |
| 2023 | 242 | #935 |
| 2022 | 256 | #905 |
| 2021 | 166 | #1182 |
| 2020 | 160 | #1196 |
| 2019 | 128 | #1386 |
| 2018 | 112 | #1521 |
| 2017 | 92 | #1707 |
| 2016 | 74 | #1959 |
| 2015 | 75 | #1931 |
| 2014 | 88 | #1714 |
| 2013 | 63 | #2113 |
| 2012 | 56 | #2292 |
| 2011 | 63 | #2105 |
| 2010 | 60 | #2187 |
| 2009 | 70 | #1990 |
| 2008 | 74 | #1932 |
| 2007 | 52 | #2442 |
| 2006 | 51 | #2398 |
| 2005 | 50 | #2325 |
| 2004 | 51 | #2238 |
| 2003 | 38 | #2620 |
| 2002 | 36 | #2632 |
| 2001 | 38 | #2520 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Zen a popular boy name?
Zen ranked #1143 among boys in 2025 with 185 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1931.
When was the name Zen most popular?
Zen peaked in 2022, when 256 American boys received the name (ranked #905 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 9,730 newborn American boys was named Zen. It scores 60/100 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.