Zeth
Hebrew name meaning "anointed" or "olive tree".
Name Census estimates that about 1,174 living Americans carry the first name Zeth. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zeth today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zeth births was 1999 (59 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zeth. 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 Zeth with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 291,954 Americans
Peak year
1999
59 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,287
Tracked since 1977
Census
Zeth in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,019 people with the first name Zeth, which placed it at #12,264 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
#12,264
National first-name rank
People counted
1.0K
1,019 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
67.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zeth
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Zeth is White at 67.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.5%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Zeth 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 Zeth at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.0% · 683
- Hispanic or Latino20.5% · 209
- Two or more races5.0% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 33
- Black or African American2.4% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 19
Popularity
Zeth: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zeth from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 438 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zeth 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 Zeth during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zeths live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Texas, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Zeth, while Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 41 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zeth
The name Zeth is a unique and intriguing moniker with an enigmatic history that spans across various cultures and time periods. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Sumerian civilization, where it was derived from the word "zeth," which translates to "life" or "breath." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have initially carried connotations of vitality and the essence of existence.
In the realm of ancient texts, the name Zeth finds its earliest mention in the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known literary works from Mesopotamia. This epic tale, dating back to around 2100 BCE, features a character named Zeth, though the precise details of their role are shrouded in the mists of time. This reference, however, serves as a testament to the name's antiquity and its deep-rooted connection to the cradle of civilization.
As civilizations evolved and cultures intermingled, the name Zeth underwent various transformations and adaptations. In ancient Egypt, a variant of the name, "Zethus," was recorded in hieroglyphic inscriptions, although its precise meaning and significance remain elusive. This Egyptian connection hints at the name's potential spread across the ancient Mediterranean region.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Zeth. One of the earliest recorded figures was Zeth of Alexandria, a renowned scholar and philosopher who lived during the 3rd century BCE. His contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy were significant, and his works were widely studied in the ancient world.
In the realm of literature, the name Zeth gained prominence through the works of the influential Roman poet, Ovid. In his renowned work, "Metamorphoses," Ovid introduced the character of Zethus, the twin brother of Amphion. This literary reference added a layer of depth and mythology to the name, further solidifying its place in the annals of Western culture.
Another notable figure bearing the name Zeth was the 12th-century Andalusian philosopher and mathematician, Zeth ibn Yahya al-Qurashi. His contributions to the field of mathematics, particularly his work on algebraic equations, were groundbreaking and helped shape the mathematical discourse of his era.
In more recent times, the name Zeth has been associated with various artistic and literary figures. One such individual was Zeth Lundy, an American painter and illustrator who gained recognition for his vibrant and expressive works during the 20th century.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning Zeth Paxson, a contemporary American author and game designer, whose works have explored the realms of science fiction and fantasy. His contributions to the literary and gaming communities have helped to keep the name Zeth alive and relevant in modern times.
People
Zeth + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zeth 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
Zeth: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zeth?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,174 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zeth 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 291,954 US residents.
Is Zeth a common name?
We classify Zeth as "Rare". It ranks above 91.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,197 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zeth most popular?
The single biggest year for Zeth was 1999, when 59 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zeth is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Zeth in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,019 people with the name Zeth, or 0.34 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #12,264 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 Zeth 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 Zeth?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Zeth appears almost entirely male. Of the 1,014 people counted with this name, 99.9% were male and only a very small share were female. 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 Zeth?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Zeth is White at 67.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.5%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Zeth most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Zeth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.0% (683 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 Zeth in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zeth a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zeth 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 Zeth still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zeth 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 Zeth 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 called Zeth?
You can see how many people have the name Zeth on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.