Boy Names That Start With Z
Z is one of the rarest first letters for American boys, which is exactly why parents love it. A Z name feels energetic and a little unexpected, and it gets you noticed at the end of every alphabetical roll call. Zachary and Zion are the familiar faces; beyond them lie Hebrew prophets, Slavic kings, Persian heroes and the Greek west wind.
We’ve gathered more than 90 boy names that start with Z, with meanings and origins for each. You might also like our boy names that start with T, the Z list for girl names that start with Z, or our round-up of unique boy names.
Popular Z names for boys
The Z names American parents choose most often. Even the most common ones are far from overused.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Zachary | God has remembered | Hebrew |
| Zion | A hill in Jerusalem; possibly “fortress” | Hebrew |
| Zane | Uncertain; popularized by author Zane Grey | English |
| Zayden | Modern coinage in the Jayden/Aiden family | American |
| Zayn | Beauty, grace | Arabic |
| Zander | Short for Alexander, “defender of the people” | Greek |
| Zeke | Short for Ezekiel, “God strengthens” | Hebrew |
| Zachariah | God has remembered | Hebrew |
| Zaid | Growth, abundance | Arabic |
| Zyaire | Modern name, possibly inspired by Zaire | American |
| Zev | Wolf | Hebrew |
| Zack | Short for Zachary | English |
| Zakai | Pure, innocent | Hebrew |
| Zeb | Short for Zebulon | Hebrew |
| Zed | Short for Zedekiah; British name for the letter Z | Hebrew / English |
| Zavier | Variant of Xavier, “new house” | Basque |
| Zaylen | Modern blend of Zane and Jaylen | American |
Biblical boy names that start with Z
The Bible is the richest source of Z names. For more scripture-inspired choices, see our biblical boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| Zebulon | Exalted dwelling | Genesis 30 |
| Zechariah | God has remembered | Book of Zechariah |
| Zedekiah | Justice of God | 2 Kings 24 |
| Zephaniah | God has hidden | Book of Zephaniah |
| Zacchaeus | Pure | Luke 19 |
| Zadok | Righteous | 2 Samuel 8 |
| Zebedee | Gift of God | Matthew 4 |
| Zerubbabel | Seed of Babylon | Ezra 3 |
| Zimri | My praise, my music | Numbers 25 |
| Zuriel | God is my rock | Numbers 3 |
| Zenas | Gift of Zeus | Titus 3 |
| Zabdi | My gift | Joshua 7 |
| Zebadiah | God has bestowed | 1 Chronicles 8 |
| Zerah | Dawning, rising | Genesis 38 |
| Zaccur | Mindful | Numbers 13 |
| Zophar | Meaning uncertain; friend of Job | Job 2 |
Modern Hebrew and Yiddish Z names
Short, bright names used in Israel and Jewish communities today. Explore more Hebrew boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ziv | Radiance, brightness | Hebrew |
| Zohar | Radiance, splendor | Hebrew |
| Zamir | Nightingale; song | Hebrew |
| Zemer | Song, melody | Hebrew |
| Zvi | Deer, gazelle | Hebrew |
| Zelig | Blessed, happy | Yiddish |
Arabic, Persian and Turkish Z names
Z names with long histories across the Middle East and South Asia. See also Arabic boy names and Persian boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Zakir | One who remembers God | Arabic |
| Zaki | Pure, virtuous | Arabic |
| Zahir | Radiant, evident | Arabic |
| Zafar | Victory | Arabic / Persian |
| Ziad | Growth, abundance | Arabic |
| Zubair | Strong, firm | Arabic |
| Zakaria | Arabic form of Zachary | Arabic |
| Zinedine | Beauty of the faith (Zayn al-Din) | Arabic |
| Zuhair | Little flower; bright | Arabic |
| Zahid | Devout, ascetic | Arabic |
| Zaman | Time, era | Arabic |
| Zaheer | Helper, supporter | Arabic / Urdu |
| Zarif | Graceful, witty | Arabic / Persian |
| Zulfiqar | The legendary sword of Ali | Arabic |
| Zaim | Leader | Arabic / Turkish |
| Ziya | Light | Arabic / Turkish |
| Zeki | Intelligent | Turkish |
| Zafer | Victory | Turkish |
| Zeeshan | Dignity, majesty | Urdu |
| Zal | White-haired hero of the Shahnameh | Persian |
Slavic, Hungarian and European Z names
Z is common in Central and Eastern Europe, where names like Zoltan and Zbigniew are everyday classics. See Polish boy names for more.
| Name | Pronunciation / origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Zoltan | ZOHL-tahn (Hungarian) | Ruler (from “sultan”) |
| Zbigniew | ZBEEG-nyef (Polish) | Dispel anger |
| Zdeněk | ZDEN-yek (Czech) | From Sidonius, “of Sidon” |
| Zoran | ZOR-ahn (Serbian, Croatian) | Dawn |
| Zlatan | ZLAH-tahn (South Slavic) | Golden |
| Zlatko | ZLAHT-ko (South Slavic) | Golden |
| Zygmunt | ZIG-moont (Polish) | Victory protection |
| Zvonimir | ZVON-ee-meer (Croatian) | Sound of peace |
| Zdravko | ZDRAHV-ko (Bulgarian, Serbian) | Healthy |
| Zelimir | ZHEL-ee-meer (Slavic) | Desiring peace |
| Zakhar | zah-KHAR (Russian) | Form of Zachary |
| Zaccaria | zahk-kah-REE-ah (Italian) | Form of Zachary |
| Zacharias | zak-ah-RYE-as (Greek, German) | Form of Zachary |
| Zacarías | sah-kah-REE-as (Spanish) | Form of Zachary |
| Zeferino | zeh-feh-REE-no (Spanish, Portuguese) | From Zephyrinus, “west wind” |
| Zosimo | ZOH-see-mo (Italian, Spanish) | Lively, viable |
| Ziggy | ZIG-ee (English) | Nickname for Sigmund or Zygmunt |
| Zorion | zor-ee-OHN (Basque) | Happy |
Mythology and cosmic Z names
Gods, heroes and sky words for a name with presence. More in mythology boy names.
| Name | Source | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Zeus | King of the Greek gods | Sky, shine |
| Zephyr | Greek god of the west wind | West wind |
| Zeno | Greek philosopher (Stoicism’s founder) | Of Zeus |
| Zenon | Polish and Greek form of Zeno | Of Zeus |
| Zetes | Winged Argonaut, son of the north wind | Possibly “seeker” |
| Zagreus | Orphic god, son of Zeus | Possibly “great hunter” |
| Zoroaster | Persian prophet (Zarathustra) | Meaning debated |
| Zenith | Point in the sky directly overhead | Highest point |
| Zorro | The masked hero of California legend | Fox (Spanish) |
Z names from Africa and Asia
A handful of beautiful Z names from farther afield. Browse our Swahili boy names too.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Zuberi | Strong | Swahili |
| Zikomo | Thank you | Chichewa (Malawi) |
| Zola | Calm, tranquil | Zulu |
| Zen | Meditation (the Buddhist school) | Japanese |
| Zihao | Common modern name; meaning depends on characters | Chinese |
| Zoraver | Powerful (Zorawar) | Punjabi / Persian |
| Zubin | Parsi name; meaning uncertain | Persian / Indian |
Tips for picking a Z name
- Go short or go long. Z names split neatly into punchy nicknames (Zev, Zeb, Zed) and grand biblical forms (Zebulon, Zechariah). Consider using the long form officially and the short one daily.
- Mind spelling fatigue. Zayden, Zaiden and Zaydin are all in use; pick the most straightforward spelling if you don’t want to correct it forever.
- Balance the buzz. Z is a loud letter. A classic middle name like James or Henry keeps the full name grounded.
- Check pronunciation. Slavic names like Zbigniew and Zdeněk are gorgeous but tricky in English — a nickname like Zbig or Denny can help.
- Use meaning as a tiebreaker. Zion, Zohar and Ziv all evoke light or strength; Zev means wolf — great if you like names that mean wolf.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular boy name that starts with Z?
Zion and Zachary have been the most-used Z names for boys in recent SSA data, with Zayden, Zane and Zayn also in regular use.
Are Z names rare?
Yes. Z is one of the least common first letters for boys’ names in the US (only letters like Q, U and X are rarer), so even the most popular Z names are given far less often than the top names starting with other letters.
What biblical boy names start with Z?
Zechariah, Zebulon, Zedekiah, Zephaniah, Zacchaeus, Zadok, Zebedee, Zerubbabel and Zuriel all appear in the Bible.
What Z name means “wolf”?
Zev (also spelled Zeev) is Hebrew for “wolf.” It is traditionally linked to the tribe of Benjamin, which Genesis 49 compares to a wolf.
What is a cool boy name starting with Z?
Zephyr, Zeno, Zion, Zander and Zev are popular “cool” picks — short, modern-sounding and rooted in real history.