Zaine
A name of uncertain origins, potentially of Arabic or Persian roots.
Name Census estimates that about 1,945 living Americans carry the first name Zaine. It is a predominantly male name (99.2% of registrations). The average person named Zaine today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zaine births was 2015 (105 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zaine. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Zaine with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Zaine is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 15 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.9K
~ 1 in 176,223 Americans
Peak year
2015
105 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,228
Tracked since 1988
Census
Zaine in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,484 people with the first name Zaine, which placed it at #9,378 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#9,378
National first-name rank
People counted
1.5K
1,484 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.5
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
62.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zaine
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Zaine is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Hispanic (11.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Zaine described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Zaine at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.2% · 923
- Black or African American11.8% · 175
- Hispanic or Latino11.7% · 173
- Two or more races10.6% · 158
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 16
Gender
Gender distribution for Zaine
Out of the 1,965 babies given the name Zaine since 1880, 99.2% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Zaine as a male name
- Ranked #2,228 in 2024
- 65 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (105 births)
Zaine as a female name
- Ranked #19,526 in 2011
- 5 female births in 2011
- Peak: 2008 (6 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Zaine leans strongly male. 1,400 people counted with this name were male (94.1%), compared with 87 female bearers (5.9%).
Popularity
Zaine: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zaine from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 860 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zaine remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zaine by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Zaine during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zaines live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. Texas, Ohio, Florida recorded the most babies named Zaine, while Washington, North Carolina, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 33 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zaine
The name Zaine is a unique and relatively modern variation of the more traditional name Zane. Its origins can be traced back to the Arabic language, where it is believed to have derived from the word "zain," meaning "beauty" or "grace." This connection to beauty and elegance has undoubtedly contributed to the name's enduring appeal across various cultures.
While the exact origins of the name Zaine are not entirely clear, it is believed to have emerged as a variant or diminutive form of Zane in the latter half of the 20th century. This timing coincides with a cultural shift towards more distinctive and individualized naming practices, particularly in Western societies.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zaine can be found in historical records from the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, its usage remained relatively uncommon until the latter part of the 20th century when it gained popularity as a unique and stylish alternative to more traditional names.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Zaine, though their numbers are relatively few compared to more widespread names. One such figure was Zaine Ridling (1932-2010), a British author and journalist known for his insightful works on literature and cultural criticism.
Another notable bearer of the name was Zaine Dvorak (1947-2018), a pioneering computer scientist and engineer who played a pivotal role in the development of early personal computing technology. His contributions to the field of human-computer interaction were widely recognized and celebrated within the tech industry.
In the realm of sports, Zaine Petersen (1976-present) is a former South African cricketer who represented his national team in various formats of the game during the late 1990s and early 2000s. His impressive batting skills and athleticism made him a beloved figure among fans and supporters.
The artistic world has also seen its fair share of notable individuals named Zaine. Zaine Griff (1962-present) is a celebrated American painter and sculptor whose works have been featured in numerous prestigious galleries and exhibitions around the world.
Lastly, Zaine Acharya (1985-present) is a prominent Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist whose efforts have focused on promoting sustainable development and empowering underprivileged communities. His innovative approaches to social entrepreneurship have earned him numerous accolades and recognition on a global scale.
While the name Zaine may not have a long and storied history, its unique and captivating sound, combined with its connection to beauty and grace, has undoubtedly contributed to its growing popularity in recent decades. As the world becomes increasingly globalized and cultural boundaries blur, it is likely that this distinctive name will continue to enchant and inspire future generations.
People
Zaine + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zaine as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zaine: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zaine?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,945 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zaine going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 176,223 US residents.
Is Zaine a common name?
We classify Zaine as "Rare". It ranks above 93.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,965 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zaine most popular?
The single biggest year for Zaine was 2015, when 105 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zaine is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Zaine in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,484 people with the name Zaine, or 0.49 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #9,378 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Zaine in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Zaine?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Zaine leans strongly male. 1,400 people counted with this name were male (94.1%), compared with 87 female bearers (5.9%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Zaine?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Zaine is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Hispanic (11.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Zaine most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Zaine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.2% (923 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Zaine in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zaine a male name?
Yes, 99.2% of people registered as Zaine in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Zaine still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zaine in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Zaine can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are named Zaine?
Find out how many people share the name Zaine on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.