The given name Zachary originated from the Hebrew name Zechariah, which means "the Lord remembers" or "the Lord has remembered." It first appeared in the Old Testament, where it was the name of several minor Biblical figures, including a prophet and the father of John the Baptist.

The name Zechariah likely derived from the Hebrew words "zakar," meaning "to remember," and "Yah," a shortened form of the name of the Hebrew God, Yahweh. The Greek form of the name, Zacharias, was later Latinized to Zacharias or Zachary.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Zachary was Zachary of Mytilene, a Greek scholar and ecclesiastical historian who lived in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. He is known for his work on the history of the Church and for his correspondence with Severus of Antioch.

Another notable Zachary was Zachary the Scholastic, a Syrian monk and philosopher who lived in the 6th century. He was a prominent figure in the School of Alexandria and made significant contributions to the study of Aristotelian logic and philosophy.

In the 7th century, there was Zachary, a Pope of the Catholic Church who reigned from 741 to 752 AD. He is remembered for his efforts to strengthen the Church's authority and for his diplomatic relations with the Frankish rulers.

A more recent historical figure with the name Zachary was Zachary Taylor, an American military leader and the 12th President of the United States. He was born in 1784 and served as President from 1849 until his death in 1850.

Another famous Zachary was Zachary Macaulay, a British abolitionist and philanthropist who lived from 1768 to 1838. He played a significant role in the campaign to end the slave trade in the British Empire and was a prominent figure in the anti-slavery movement.