Girl names starting with Z sit 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 year prior.
That hasn’t always been the case. In some years, zero names beginning with Z appear on the girls’ charts.
But now, the final letter of the alphabet comes in a respectable eighteenth place in terms of popular first initials – even ahead of the letter T.
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
ZOEY (#32)
Nickelodeon series Zoey 101 prompted us to add a ‘y’ to Zoey, just like Joey.
ZOE (#41)
This mini Greek import comes with a big meaning: life.
ZARA (#215)
Sarah is down-to-earth and classic, but Zara? Zara sparkles.
ZURI (#236)
A Swahili name, Zuri means beautiful.
ZARIAH (#460)
Zariah might be Arabic in origin. Or possibly Hebrew. What’s certain is that Zariah is on the rise.
ZELDA (#559)
A name meaning happy, Zelda is forever associated with the jazz age thanks to Mrs. F. Scott Fitzgerald, a novelist in her own right.
ZAHRA (#589)
An Arabic name with a great meaning – bright.
ZAYLEE (#661)
A cousin to Hailey and Kaylee, but maybe with a nod to the saintly Zelie, too.
ZARIYAH (#697)
A third spelling in the Zaria/Zariah category.
ZANIYAH (#730)
Possibly borrowed from Zaniah, the traditional Arabic name for a star.
ZARIA (#861)
Maria-with-a-Z … or Zariah-hold-the-h.
ZORA (#877)
A Slavic word meaning dawn, and a slightly more daring alternative to Nora, Cora, and Aurora.
ZOYA (#919)
A Slavic spin on popular Zoe.
ZOLA (#935)
Popular at the turn of the twentieth century in the US, this name’s origins are unclear. But it fits in perfectly with girl names beginning with Z today.
ZAINAB (#959)
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.
ZOIE (#963)
Another Zoe/Zoey spelling.
ZENDAYA (#976)
A Shona name meaning thankful, Zendaya makes the charts thanks to a talented young actor.
ZHURI (#991)
Another spelling of rising favorite Zuri.
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.
ZAHAVA
Zahava means golden, again with Hebrew roots.
ZAHIRA
An Arabic name with two possible meanings: shining, or helper.
ZANNA
Possibly short for Suzanne, or maybe a feminine form of John.
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.
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.
ZELLA
A so-slightly different spin on Bella and Stella, Zella offers several possible origins and meanings.
ZENAIDA
An ancient Greek name related to the god Zeus, Zenaida is also a genus of doves. They’re named for Napoleon’s niece, Zénaïde.
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 western 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.
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.
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.
ZOILA
A Spanish take on Zoe.
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.
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.
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.