The baby name Zohran has gone from rarity to national news thanks to the new Mayor-elect of New York City, Zohran Mamdani.
Thanks to Allie for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME ZOHRAN MEAN?
On paper, Zohran is a name of Arabic origin and Urdu origin.
We’ve all heard of Arabic.
Urdu tends to be less familiar. But here’s the thing: it’s nearly as widespread, the national language of Pakistan, and an official language in India, too.
Worth noting: the difference between Urdu and Hindi is a subject of much debate. In general, Muslims speak Urdu, while Hindus speak Hindi. There’s a lot more to the divide.
Combined? It’s sometimes called Hindi-Urdu or Hindustani and a massive chunk of the world’s population can understand it to varying degrees.
Back to the meaning: Zohran is a cousin to Zahran and Zahra, meaning either blossoms or blooming, or possibly “to shine.” A handful of similar names share related sounds, origins, and meanings, including Zohar and Zahara.
It’s a name that suggests new beginnings and optimism.
HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE ZOHRAN?
Despite all of this complexity, the baby name Zohran is pretty easy to pronounce.
It’s – more or less – zohr rhymes with core, followed by AHN, rhymes with can. There’s a slight emphasis on the second syllable.
Zohran isn’t all that different from Top 100 mainstays like Logan and Hudson.
SIMILAR NAMES: ZAYDEN, ZOHAN & MORE
Speaking of similar names, the current US Top includes:
- Zayden, Zaiden,
- Zaylen
- Zahir
- Zane, Zayn, Zayne, and Zain
And a bunch more Z names.
Zoran is a cousin to Zora, names that mean “dawn” in Czech, Slovak, and related languages.
Beyond the United States Top 1000, names like Zohan, Zidane, and Zayyan are enjoying more popularity in England and the United Kingdom right now.
THE RISE OF ZOHRAN MAMDANI
There’s one reason we’re talking about the baby name Zohran now: the perhpas unlikely rise of New York politician Zohran Mamdani.
Born in Uganda to parents of Indian descent, he spent part of his childhood in South Africa before moving to the United States as a child. Mamdani was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, representing the Astoria neighborhood of Queens.
In late 2024, he launched a campaign for mayor of New York City. Against long odds, he defeated Andrew Cuomo to secure the Democratic party’s nomination, and went on to win the election on November 4, 2025. He’ll be the first Muslim mayor, the first mayor of Indian descent, and the youngest mayor in over a century.
Beyond those characteristics, he’s known for his electrifying speeches and his promises to make a staggeringly expensive city affordable for all New Yorkers.
In general, politicians’ names are rarely adopted by parents. That wasn’t always true. Founding Father ames like Washington and Jefferson had long histories of use. In the late 19th and 20th centuries, names like Cleveland and Kennedy spiked when their bearers were elected to office.
Today, though, we give names like Carter and Reagan without regard to their political antecedents.
And a name like Zohran won’t necessarily rise in use because of a a famous figure.
But some of his personality traits and personal qualities – all those firsts, combined with a blend of hopeful, can-do spirit, might make his relatively unique appealing to more parents.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME ZOHRAN?
At the moment, though? The baby name Zohran has never been given to even five children born in the United States in a single year.
That’s pretty close to being a unique name.
A few similar spellings that did chart include:
- Zoran, given to 16 boys
- Zaron, given to 6 boys
- Zahran, given to fewer than 5 boys in 2024, but used for 7 boys in 2023
A PERFECT NAME FOR 2026
There’s an upbeat optimism to the baby name Zohran. The meaning is cross-cultural, with images from a new day to flourishing to shining lights. There’s quite a lot to like.
But while this name is undeniably rare, it sounds familiar. The combination of a zippy Z with a two-syllable, ends-in-N construction makes Zohran accessible, nearly anywhere in the United States you’d find a Zayden, a Xavier, or a Zane.
It’s a strong choice for a family looking for a culture-spanning choice that feels very current in 2020s America.
What do you think of the baby name Zohran?
I like the name a lot, but I like the new mayor even better!! <3
Great choice for today!!
I have recently discovered that many Urdu names are completely invented out of Arab words or Persian words and they are usually not found in Arabic speaking countries so I wonder if Zohran is another invented name.
Thanks for that, Sebastiane – I really drowned in the whole language piece here. There’s just so much to it … I feel like the meanings are defensible, but possibly (some of) the names are more modern. Then again, there’s Fatima al-Zahra, so that’s the 7th century at least.