Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2019

Zephaniah

Meaning From Hebrew צְפַנְיָה (ts'fanyá) Gender Unisex · 12% girls Rank 2025 #1,458 Trend → Stable

From Hebrew צְפַנְיָה (ts'fanyá).

Rank 2025
#1,458
among boys · ↓119 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
143
named Zephaniah · -9% vs 2024
How common
1 in 13,887
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2019
194 babies
All-time total
3,857
#2,342 all-time among boys
First recorded
1972
in Social Security records

Zephaniah popularity over time

3,857 babies have been named Zephaniah since 1972, 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 – 37 37 4 – #4,415
1980s – 109 109 11 +195% #3,220
1990s 32 299 331 33 +204% #1,898
2000s 129 846 975 98 +195% #1,407
2010s 211 1,321 1,532 153 +57% #1,143
2020s (to 2025) 105 768 873 146 -5% #1,339

Where Zephaniah 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 121 0.07 outside top 500
2027 119 0.07 outside top 500
2028 117 0.07 outside top 500
2029 116 0.07 outside top 500
2030 115 0.07 outside top 500

Where Zephaniah is most popular

Boys named Zephaniah per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.074 per 1,000. Strongest in Colorado, Tennessee, and Ohio.

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 Zephaniah 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
Colorado 20 0.155 +108%
Tennessee 23 0.127 +71%
Ohio 30 0.113 +52%
Indiana 16 0.100 +34%
Texas 80 0.091 +22%
Florida 40 0.084 +13%
Pennsylvania 20 0.075 ≈ national
Washington 11 0.067 -10%
California 60 0.066 -12%
Arizona 10 0.061 -18%
Oklahoma 5 0.057 -24%
Georgia 11 0.043 -42%
Missouri 6 0.043 -42%
New York 11 0.025 -66%
Michigan 5 0.024 -67%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
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 Zephaniah

Zephaniah is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,458 in 2025 with 123 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1972, 3,857 American babies have been named Zephaniah, about 88% boys and 12% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2019, when 194 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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 Zephaniah stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Zephaniah?

The median living Zephaniah is about 12 years old; half are between 6 and 19. An estimated 3,800 people named Zephaniah are alive in the United States today.

median 12 020406080100

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

Zephaniah 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 20 #6,111 123 #1,458
2024 14 #7,963 144 #1,339
2023 18 #6,675 125 #1,457
2022 13 #8,532 119 #1,522
2021 21 #5,950 132 #1,396
2020 19 #6,321 125 #1,397
2019 23 #5,609 171 #1,143
2018 19 #6,515 152 #1,227
2017 27 #5,044 138 #1,313
2016 28 #4,987 144 #1,274
2015 19 #6,716 122 #1,415
2014 18 #6,982 123 #1,388
2013 23 #5,829 129 #1,337
2012 15 #8,206 117 #1,427
2011 24 #5,724 117 #1,424
2010 15 #8,268 108 #1,516
2009 20 #6,807 109 #1,528
2008 20 #6,795 121 #1,407
2007 14 #9,002 109 #1,476
2006 16 #7,865 91 #1,604
2005 10 #10,917 85 #1,618
2004 13 #8,710 75 #1,719
2003 8 #12,400 63 #1,884
2002 10 #10,236 66 #1,770
2001 12 #8,751 59 #1,892
2000 6 #15,022 68 #1,698
1995 – – 29 #2,625
1990 – – 18 #3,466
1985 – – 7 #5,781
1980 – – 7 #5,522
1975 – – 7 #4,796
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Zephaniah

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Zephaniah Zephaniah Biblical figure

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Zephaniah?

The median living Zephaniah is about 12 years old. Half of all living Zephaniahs are between 6 and 19 years old.

How many people named Zephaniah are alive today?

An estimated 3,800 people named Zephaniah are alive in the United States, based on 3,857 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Zephaniah mean?

From Hebrew צְפַנְיָה (ts'fanyá).

How popular is the name Zephaniah in 2025?

Zephaniah ranked #1,458 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 123 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Zephaniah?

3,857 babies have been named Zephaniah in the United States since 1972, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Zephaniah most popular?

Zephaniah peaked in 2019, when 194 newborns received the name.

Is Zephaniah a boy or girl name?

Zephaniah is used for both: about 12% of babies named Zephaniah have been girls and 88% boys.

Is the name Zephaniah rising or falling?

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

Will Zephaniah become more popular?

Zephaniah is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 115 boys named Zephaniah in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Zephaniah?

Well-known people named Zephaniah include Zephaniah (religious figure).

Names like Zephaniah

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

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