boys' name ★ peaked 2025

Zev

Meaning év, “wolf Gender Boy Rank 2025 #866 Trend ↑ Rising 27%

From Hebrew זאב (ze'év, “wolf”).

Rank 2025
#866
among boys · ↑35 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
277
named Zev · +5% vs 2024
How common
1 in 6,166
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
277 babies
All-time total
5,153
#1,751 all-time among boys
First recorded
1951
in Social Security records

Zev popularity over time

5,153 babies have been named Zev since 1951, 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
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2025Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s 90 9 – #1,805
1960s 105 11 +17% #2,120
1970s 190 19 +81% #1,912
1980s 261 26 +37% #2,034
1990s 453 45 +74% #1,777
2000s 889 89 +96% #1,386
2010s 1,642 164 +85% #969
2020s (to 2025) 1,523 254 +55% #866

Where Zev 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 289 0.17 outside top 500
2027 300 0.18 outside top 500
2028 309 0.18 outside top 500
2029 317 0.19 outside top 500
2030 324 0.19 outside top 500

Where Zev is most popular

Boys named Zev per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.147 per 1,000. Strongest in New York, New Jersey, and Maryland.

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 Zev 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
New York 495 1.14 +676%
New Jersey 224 1.11 +655%
Maryland 21 0.176 +19%
California 123 0.135 -9%
Illinois 28 0.110 -26%
Pennsylvania 27 0.102 -31%
Florida 46 0.097 -34%
Nevada 5 0.088 -40%
Massachusetts 12 0.087 -41%
Washington 13 0.079 -46%
Connecticut 5 0.074 -50%
Georgia 11 0.043 -71%
Texas 38 0.043 -71%
Virginia 5 0.026 -82%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
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 Zev

Zev is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #866 in 2025 with 277 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1951, 5,153 American babies have been named Zev. Its peak came in 2025, when 277 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 Zev stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Zev?

The median living Zev is about 11 years old; half are between 4 and 22. An estimated 5,000 people named Zev are alive in the United States today.

median 11 020406080100

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

Zev year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 277 #866
2024 263 #901
2023 267 #879
2022 239 #952
2021 227 #981
2020 250 #901
2019 195 #1,053
2018 215 #969
2017 193 #1,047
2016 161 #1,182
2015 160 #1,167
2014 153 #1,204
2013 160 #1,140
2012 150 #1,200
2011 122 #1,376
2010 133 #1,298
2009 115 #1,458
2008 117 #1,435
2007 119 #1,386
2006 115 #1,390
2005 78 #1,724
2004 74 #1,730
2003 75 #1,672
2002 71 #1,681
2001 74 #1,616
2000 51 #2,014
1995 49 #1,800
1990 41 #1,908
1985 23 #2,356
1980 27 #2,057
1975 24 #2,000
1970 20 #2,057
1965 13 #2,365
1960 16 #2,120
1955 10 #2,763
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Zev?

The median living Zev is about 11 years old. Half of all living Zevs are between 4 and 22 years old.

How many people named Zev are alive today?

An estimated 5,000 people named Zev are alive in the United States, based on 5,153 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Zev mean?

From Hebrew זאב (ze'év, “wolf”).

How popular is the name Zev in 2025?

Zev ranked #866 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 277 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Zev?

5,153 babies have been named Zev in the United States since 1951, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Zev most popular?

Zev peaked in 2025, when 277 newborns received the name.

Is Zev a boy or girl name?

Zev is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Zev rising or falling?

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

Will Zev become more popular?

Zev is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 324 boys named Zev in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Zev

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

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