Girl names starting with Z fall at the end of the alphabet, but they’ve become style stars in the last few decades.
From mini Zoe – no matter how you spell it – to elaborate Zariyah and Zaniyah, more girl names starting with Z appear in today’s Top 1000 than nearly any decade prior.
That hasn’t always been the case. In some years, zero names beginning with Z appear on the girls’ charts. (Really! Zero girls’ names beginning with Z ranked in the US Top 1000 back in 1964.)
But now, the final letter of the alphabet comes in a respectable eighteenth place in terms of popular first initials – even ahead of O – as in Olivia.
Maybe it’s because we love our high-value Scrabble letter names these days. After all, along with Q, Z offers a whopping ten points. Name your twin girls Zoey and Quinn, and their names would add up fast.
But there are some plain great Z names, inspired by a mix of foreign imports, creative inventions, and names that just sound a little zippier when they begin with the letter Z.
Z NAMES FOR GIRLS IN THE US TOP 1000
ZOE (#37)
This mini Greek import comes with a big meaning: life.
ZOEY (#51)
Nickelodeon series Zoey 101 prompted us to add a ‘y’ to Zoey, just like Joey. For several years, Zoey outranked Zoe. But lately, it’s the Y spelling on the decline, while Zoe is still going strong.
ZURI (#203)
A Swahili name, Zuri means beautiful.
ZARA (#236)
Sarah means princess, but feels down-to-earth and classic. But Zara? Zara sparkles. The rarer spelling Zarah is sometimes seen, too.
ZARIAH (#412)
Zariah might be Arabic in origin. Or possibly Hebrew. What’s certain is that Zariah is on the rise.
ZAHRA (#556)
An Arabic name with a great meaning – bright.
ZARIYAH (#638)
A third spelling in the Zaria/Zariah category.
ZELDA (#705)
A name meaning happy, Zelda is forever associated with the jazz age thanks to Mrs. F. Scott Fitzgerald, a novelist in her own right.
ZANIYAH (#735)
Possibly borrowed from Zaniah, the traditional Arabic name for a star.
ZARIA (#756)
Maria-with-a-Z … or Zariah-hold-the-h.
ZAYLA (#800)
For years, the popular Kayla inspired baby girl names like Jayla and Shayla. While most of those names have faded, Zayla is the exception.
ZAYLEE (#831)
A cousin to Hailey and Kaylee, but maybe with a nod to the saintly Zelie, too.
ZENDAYA (#834)
A Shona name meaning thankful, Zendaya makes the charts thanks to a young actress whose career continues to soar.
ZOYA (#854)
A Slavic spin on popular Zoe.
ZORA (#863)
A Slavic word meaning dawn, and a slightly more daring alternative to Nora, Cora, and Aurora.
ZHURI (#869)
A rare spelling of Zuri, powered the surprisingly popular silent H.
ZAINAB (#876)
An Arabic name possibly meaning beauty. Thanks to a significant figure in Islam, it’s been embraced by Muslim families across the world, in multiple spellings, like Zaynab and Zeinab.
UNCOMMON GIRL NAMES BEGINNING WITH Z
ZADIE
It’s Sadie-with-a-Z, thanks to London-born author Sadie Smith.
ZAHARA
Likely Hebrew in origin, this name means shining. It’s familiar thanks to Jolie-Pitt daughter Zahara Marley.
ZAIDA
The name of an eleventh century Muslim princess … who became the ancestor of the current British royals.
ZAHAVA
Zahava means golden, again with Hebrew roots.
ZAHIRA
An Arabic name with two possible meanings: shining, or helper.
ZAINA
Also spelled Zayna, this is a feminine form of Zayn – an Arabic name meaning grace.
ZAIRE
Today it’s known as the Democratic Republic of Congo, but from the 1970s into the 1990s, it was Zaire. Way back in the 1700s, Voltaire gave the name Zaire to a character in a play. Chances are he borrowed it from another writer, who adapted it from the Arabic Zahra.
ZAMIRA
An Albanian name, Zamira means nightingale.
ZANNA
Possibly short for Suzanne, or maybe a feminine form of John.
ZARINA
An ancient name with Persian roots, Zarina means golden.
ZAVALA
A Spanish surname with an intriguing sound. It’s the middle name of one of Matt Damon’s daughters, Gia.
ZAZIE
In French, Zazie is short for Isabelle or Frances, a sparky short name put on the map by actor Zazie Beetz.
ZELENA
If you know your Once Upon a Time, you’ll recognize Zelena, the Wicked Witch of the West. The show put this unique girl name on parents’ radar.
ZELIE
Either a cousin to Adelaide or a French form of Azalea, Zelie is on parents’ radar thanks to Saint Zelie Martin, canonized by Pope Francis in 2015.
ZELIA
There are several reasons this rare but lovely baby name might’ve found its way into wider use. The asteroid probably comes from the Greek zelos – zeal. It might also be a form of Zelie or of Celia.
ZELLA
A so-slightly different spin on Bella and Stella, Zella offers several possible origins and meanings.
ZENA
It might be a phonetic spelling of Xenia, or possibly short for longer names ending with the right sound, Zena has been used in small numbers over the years. Zina is another possibility.
ZENAIDA
An ancient Greek name meaning “life of Zeus,” Zenaida is also a genus of doves. They’re named for Napoleon’s niece, Zénaïde.
ZENIA
Likely a twist on Xenia, a Greek saint’s name meaning hospitality.
ZENOBIA
Another take on Zenaida, Zenobia was the name of an ancient queen. Nathaniel Hawthorne used it for a character in his 1852 novel The Blithedale Romance.
ZEPHYRINE
Zephyr is the west wind in Greek myth; lovely French feminine form Zephyrine is occasionally heard.
ZERLINA
Mozart gave this name to a character in his legendary 1787 opera Don Giovanni. She’s the beautiful peasant girl Don Giovanni pursues.
ZETA
It’s the very last letter in the Greek alphabet.
ZIA
A creative spin on Mia, a short form of names ending with the right sound, or maybe from the Zia sun symbol, featured on the flag of New Mexico.
ZINNIA
An unusual flower name with a zippy Z.
ZION
Depending on your worldview, Zion might refer to the Jewish homeland, or to heaven. It’s popular for boys, but gaining in use for girls, too.
ZITA
It might be short for many names ending with the right sound, but there’s also a thirteenth century Saint Zita.
ZIVA
From a Hebrew name meaning radiant.
ZOELLE
Zoe meets Joelle.
ZOIE
Another Zoe/Zoey spelling.
ZOILA
A Spanish take on Zoe.
ZOLA
It can be a Xhosa name meaning “calm,” or simply a stylish Z-meets-Lola sound. The latter probably explains its popularity in the late nineteenth/early twentieth centuries. It’s also occasionally hear as a surname.
ZORAIDA
An Arabic name, Zoraida is most famous as a character in Cervantes’ Don Quixote.
ZOSIA
In Polish, Sophia becomes Zofia, and Zosia is the nickname. Actor Zosia Mamet rhymes her name with Sasha.
ZULEIKA
A rare name used in Persian literature from the Middle Ages onward, usually associated with Potiphar’s wife, a minor – and previously nameless – character from the Book of Genesis, as well as the Quran.
ZUZANNA
A Slavic take on Susanna, meaning lily.
ZUZU
A nickname for Susan and related names, Zuzu is forever famous as the youngest daughter of George Bailey in Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life.
What are your favorite Z names for girls? What would you add to this list?
Originally published on March 15, 2021, this post was revised and re-published on October 11, 2021; November 7, 2022; April 29, 2024; and September 21, 2024.
It’s really rare I get to see my name actually make it onto a list! I always got a lot of compliments with Zena.
Favorite Z names: Zora, Zinnia, and the elaborate Zyphrine. Zipporah, too, though I suppose technically it could be argued that it starts with a T.
Zipporah is a bird name and comes with the darling nickname of Zip. Moses’ wife makes it biblical, too.
We had a girl at school called Zanda
My favourite is Zaila, rhymes with Layla.
I love Z names. My favourites are probably Zoe and Zelda. Zoraida and Zephyrine are really intriguing too. I want to like Zenobia, but the similarity to “xenophobia” is a bit off-putting, unfortunately.
I’m thrilled to see a mention of the Book of Mormon here! But..Lehi’s wife is actually Sariah. (Unless it’s spelled differently in a non-english translation?)
OH! Thanks, Emily … I’ve had that in my head for so long, I don’t know where I got it from. Off to Google … and editing it in the meantime. Apologies!
My favorite Z name is Ziva. Meaning brightness or light or life, it is a pretty awesome.
Zola and Zara are soooo cute, but Zola reminds me of the adds for a wedding planning site, and Zara reminds me of the store. I could get over it though, they are so lovely. Do you pronounce Zara with a long or short a? I’ve always pronounced the store like Zahhhhra, as opposed to rhyming with Sarah, but I could be wrong.
Zoraida, Zinnia, Zadie and Zuri are all great. Zelda reminds me of the video game.