There’s something about the letter z. It’s just one among 26 members of the alphabet, but it has an impact far greater than h or l or c. Like all of the high value scrabble letters – q and x and j and k – z commands your attention.
It also seems to be present in a high percentage of requested names here at AppMtn. And so this week’s list is devoted to the zippy Zs. Naming a son? Visit the Zippy Zs, Boys’ Edition.
Eliza – Not every zippy z name starts with z. The lady-like Eliza brings to mind Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. There’s Elizabeth, too, of course, and other possible short forms like Liz. But Eliza really emphasizes the z sound, while remaining a mainstream option.
Hazel – She’s a nature name with an edge, heavier than pretty Lily, a sister for all of those -v intensive girls’ choices, like Ivy and Olive. Lily is a debutante, but Hazel is a rocket scientist. Want something slightly showier? Another botanical possibility with a z in the middle is Azalea, or even the french form Azelie.
Xena – She’s a warrior princess and a fifth-century saint. Lucy Lawless’ television character looms large, making this tough to wear for a daughter right now. But the reference will fade in another generation, while her sound will be as brisk and interesting as ever. Hoping to use her today? Spelling Xenia might make for a subtle difference – though it also obscures the pronunciation. Another great x-makes-the-z-sound options is Xanthe.
Zara – Cara and Tara have had their time in the sun, but Zara is the royal one. In the dystopian adventure V is for Vendetta, Queen Zara reigned. She’s been on a slight uptick in recent years in the US, but remains relatively rare.
Zelda – She’s a jazz age staple, thanks Mrs. F. Scott Fitzgerald, and a video game legend. Robin Williams claims to have named his daughter after the latter. If you’re looking for something quirky, but not completely off-trend, she’s a distinctive Z name to consider.
Zenaida – An Eastern Orthodox saint who traces her name’s roots to the ancient god Zeus, Zenaida is an Eastern-leaning rarity.
Zenobia – If Zenaida is an exotic rarity, Zenobia comes from the same roots but exudes Americana, thanks to a Nathaniel Hawthorne character and Tina Fey’s firstborn, Alice Zenobia.
Zephyrine – Zephyr is the west wind, and Zephyrinus was a third-century pope. Zephyrine is a French feminine form, and quite rare even among French speakers. In the US, she’d be a gorgeous middle name, and a reasonably wearable rarity in the first spot, too.
Zillah – Yes, it is tempting to think of the lizard-like creature who destroyed Tokyo. But Zillah is a legitimate name from the Old Testament, and appeared in the US Top 1000 a few times in the late nineteenth century. Of course, that was well before the iconic movie monster first roared.
Zinnia – Looking for an unusual bloom? Zinnia fits the bill. She’s easy to spell and pronounce, unlike Fuchsia. And her sound is on trend with lots of other lovely names for girls.
Zipporah – She doesn’t just start with z, she begins with zip! And yet Zipporah is one of the clunkier names on the list, perfect for parents considering Old Testament appellations – she’s the wife of Moses.
Ziva – A Hebrew name meaning bright, she’s a more daring option than Lucy or Claire.
Zola – She’s Lola with a literary twist, thanks to French author Emile Zola. It’s also a Zulu name meaning quiet – think of South African-born Olympic champion Zola Budd. And while Zola might sound nouveau, she’s actually retro. The name ranked in the US Top 1000 every year from 1880 through 1941.
Zora – From a Slavic word meaning dawn, she’s shorter than the Disney princess Aurora, more modern than 60s and 70s favorite Dawn.
Zuleika – Her sound is mysterious, and the many literary characters who have shared her name are equally intriguing. A Persian name connected to a Biblical character, it was famously used for a 1911 character in Max Beerbohm’s novel Zuleika Dobson, or an Oxford love story.
What’s your favorite Z name for a girl? Would you use any of these? How ’bout the more popular choices, like Zoe?
Z names are fun. I like a lot of these.
I love Zinnia, Eliza, Hazel, and Zara and Zelda, but I think my favorite Z names are Zelie and Zoelie.
Oh, Zoelie – I adore Zoelie!
Ps I’ve always loved my Z.
I seriously considered Zadie for our second daughter.Right now I am loving Vera, Juno, and Lark…
Ah, so many lovelies here! I adore Zara and Zorah as well as Azalea, and I like Zinnia, Ziva, and Zipporah. My Sunday School girls and I recently read the Moses story, and I remember commenting that I liked the name Zipporah. My girls thought was crazy, but they are all 10-11 years old, so…take that for what it’s worth. I kind if like using a Z name to honor my mom’s maiden name, which is a long, Polish appelation (and thusly, unsuable as a first name) that started with a Z.
What about Zosia? I believe it’s the Polish for Sophia. I’m actually surprised it’s not on this list. The name is in the news since Zosia Mamet is one of the stars of HBO’s new critical darling, “Girls”.
That’s a nice addition! -osia is a common diminutive form. My aunt is Gosia, from Margaret … sort of like Greta. And yes, Zosia is related to Zofia, which is the Polish version of Sophia. I don’t know if it is common or not.
I used to babysit a girl named Zahara. Pretty!
My favorite Z name for a girl is definitely Zipporah, but it’s not in serious consideration since Moses is our top boy name and that would just be weird 🙂
I do like Zuleika, but I prefer the Arabic pronunciation with the gutteral kh sound and the more phonetic Zuleikha spelling.
I know a woman in her 30s named Zoya and a toddler named Zoha and I kind of like those two better than Zora or Zola.
And I’ve recently fallen in love with Xanthe!
You give it to the boys, but I had a female teacher growing up named “Zephyr.” Even better–she went by the nickname “Breezy” and it suited her perfectly!
I went to school with a girl named Breezy Breanna.
My great-great-aunt’s name was Zula Ethel and I knew an older women named Glozella [whose daughter was Gloria] — so most /z/ names seem old-fashioned to me. Except for Zoe, which has always felt fresh, and Hazel, which is more “retro” [I went to school with a beautiful, exotic Hazel, so that skews my opinion].
Oh, and X- names are NEVER /Z/s to me! They’re always /KS/. I like a lot of X- names, but if pronounced with a /Z/, they seem dated.
Zula Ethel is fabulous! And I think you’re right about Z names having an old-fashioned feel. They’ve been hibernating … lots of great Z names in the past.
Zelda’s easily my favorite on the list, but the OH adores Zuleika. I’ll win there, unless I can get Zuleika to work in the middle somewhere (Mina Zuleika maybe?)
I too wish I had a surname that would work with Zipporah. She’s gorgeous!
But Zelda has had my heart since I was 2, I still love her.
Yesterday, I got sucked into a Wikipedian loop and I learned that one of Charles Bronson’s daughters is named Zuleika. I wasn’t aware of the name before, but here it is again… I love how that happens. 🙂
I’ve always liked the French Zelie, of course it could be a nickname for Azelie, but I like the short form better. Zipporah is a guilty pleasure of mine, I just wish I had the surname to pull it off.
…”sucked into a Wikipedian loop”…
Oh my, LOL — this happens to me a LOT! 😉