Zahi
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "radiant" or "splendid".
Name Census estimates that about 109 living Americans carry the first name Zahi. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zahi today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zahi births was 2023 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zahi. 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 Zahi with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
109
~ 1 in 3,144,535 Americans
Peak year
2023
14 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2023 SSA rank
#6,498
Tracked since 2006
Census
Zahi in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 244 people with the first name Zahi, which placed it at #33,765 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
#33,765
National first-name rank
People counted
244
244 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
62.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zahi
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Zahi is White at 62.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.9%) and Hispanic (11.5%). 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 Zahi 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 Zahi at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.3% · 152
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.9% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino11.5% · 28
- Black or African American10.2% · 25
- Two or more races4.1% · 10
Popularity
Zahi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zahi from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 61 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zahi remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zahi 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 Zahi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zahi
The given name Zahi has its origins in Arabic and Hebrew cultures, with traceable roots dating back to ancient times. In Arabic, the name is derived from the word "zahia," which translates to "bright" or "radiant." This connection suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon individuals with a luminous or vibrant personality or appearance.
In Hebrew, the name Zahi is believed to stem from the word "zohar," meaning "splendor" or "radiance." This linguistic connection further reinforces the name's association with brilliance and luminosity. The name's earliest recorded appearances can be found in ancient texts and manuscripts from the Middle East and the Mediterranean region.
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the name Zahi was a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 9th century CE in present-day Iraq. Known as Zahi al-Baghdadi, he was celebrated for his contributions to Arabic literature and his mastery of the poetic art form. His works were widely studied and admired during his lifetime and in the centuries that followed.
In the realm of religion, the name Zahi appears in various scriptural texts and religious writings. In the Quran, the sacred text of Islam, the name is mentioned in reference to a character renowned for their wisdom and spiritual enlightenment. Similarly, in certain Jewish mystical texts, the name Zahi is associated with individuals possessing profound spiritual insights and a deep connection to the divine.
Throughout history, the name Zahi has been borne by several notable figures across various fields. One such individual was Zahi Hawass, an acclaimed Egyptian archaeologist and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs in Egypt. Born in 1947, Hawass has been instrumental in numerous significant archaeological discoveries and has played a pivotal role in preserving Egypt's rich cultural heritage.
Another prominent figure was Zahi Khouri, a Palestinian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist who lived from 1935 to 2022. Khouri made significant contributions to the technology industry and was a dedicated supporter of educational initiatives, particularly in the Middle East.
In the realm of sports, Zahi Armour stands out as a former professional basketball player from Lebanon. Born in 1986, Armour had a successful career playing in various international leagues and was a key member of the Lebanese national team.
Lastly, Zahi Shaked, an Israeli military leader and politician born in 1936, deserves mention. Shaked held prominent positions within the Israeli Defense Forces and later served as a member of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, representing the Labor Party.
These examples showcase the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals who have carried the name Zahi throughout history, reflecting the name's enduring presence across cultures and generations.
People
Zahi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zahi 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
Zahi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zahi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 109 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zahi 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 3,144,535 US residents.
Is Zahi a common name?
We classify Zahi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 110 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zahi most popular?
The single biggest year for Zahi was 2023, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zahi is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Zahi in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 244 people with the name Zahi, or 0.08 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #33,765 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 Zahi 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 Zahi?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Zahi leans strongly male. 235 people counted with this name were male (94.0%), compared with 15 female bearers (6.0%). 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 Zahi?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Zahi is White at 62.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.9%) and Hispanic (11.5%). 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 Zahi most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Zahi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.3% (152 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 Zahi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zahi a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zahi 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 Zahi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zahi 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 Zahi 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 Zahi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.