Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2025

Zael

Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #1,381 Trend ↑ Rising 147%
Rank 2025
#1,381
among boys · ↑451 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
139
named Zael · +56% vs 2024
How common
1 in 12,747
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
139 babies
All-time total
678
#6,604 all-time among boys
First recorded
2004
in Social Security records

Zael popularity over time

678 babies have been named Zael since 2004, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – – – – – –
1980s – – – – – –
1990s – – – – – –
2000s – 46 46 5 – #8,300
2010s – 182 182 18 +296% #2,805
2020s (to 2025) 5 445 450 75 +312% #1,381

Where Zael is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 155 0.09 outside top 500
2027 176 0.10 outside top 500
2028 196 0.11 outside top 500
2029 214 0.13 outside top 500
2030 231 0.14 outside top 500

Where Zael is most popular

Boys named Zael per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.048 per 1,000. Strongest in Arizona, Texas, and California.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Zael born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Arizona 22 0.134 +183%
Texas 79 0.090 +88%
California 70 0.077 +61%
Massachusetts 10 0.073 +53%
Florida 27 0.057 +20%
New Jersey 11 0.055 +15%
New York 23 0.053 +12%
Pennsylvania 6 0.023 -53%
Illinois 5 0.020 -59%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Zael

Zael is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,381 in 2025 with 134 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 2004, 678 American babies have been named Zael. Its peak came in 2025, when 139 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Zael stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Zael?

The median living Zael is about 3 years old; half are between 1 and 7. An estimated 700 people named Zael are alive in the United States today.

median 3 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Zael year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 5 #17,218 134 #1,381
2024 – – 89 #1,832
2023 – – 56 #2,440
2022 – – 70 #2,134
2021 – – 62 #2,275
2020 – – 34 #3,340
2019 – – 45 #2,805
2018 – – 38 #3,101
2017 – – 23 #4,462
2016 – – 15 #6,047
2015 – – 12 #7,055
2014 – – 12 #7,041
2013 – – 9 #8,765
2012 – – 9 #8,851
2011 – – 12 #6,995
2010 – – 7 #10,742
2009 – – 10 #8,300
2008 – – 6 #12,521
2007 – – 9 #8,898
2006 – – 8 #9,571
2005 – – 6 #11,450
2004 – – 7 #9,927
2003 – – – –
2002 – – – –
2001 – – – –
2000 – – – –
1995 – – – –
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Zael, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Zael?

The median living Zael is about 3 years old. Half of all living Zaels are between 1 and 7 years old.

How many people named Zael are alive today?

An estimated 700 people named Zael are alive in the United States, based on 678 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Zael in 2025?

Zael ranked #1,381 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 134 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Zael?

678 babies have been named Zael in the United States since 2004, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Zael most popular?

Zael peaked in 2025, when 139 newborns received the name.

Is Zael a boy or girl name?

Zael is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Zael rising or falling?

Zael is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Zael become more popular?

Zael is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 231 boys named Zael in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Zael

Names that sound and feel close to Zael: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Zael with similar names → More names starting with Z →