Zailin
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially meaning "beautiful iris" or "violet flower".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Zailin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zailin today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zailin births was 2016 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zailin. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Zailin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2016
5 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#14,160
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Zailin: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Zailin 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 Zailin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Zailin
Zailin is a given name with its origins shrouded in mystery. It is believed to have originated in the ancient Mesopotamian region, where it was likely derived from the Sumerian language. The name may be composed of the elements "zai," meaning "life," and "lin," meaning "to remain" or "to endure," suggesting a meaning akin to "one who endures" or "one with lasting life."
The earliest known mention of the name Zailin can be traced back to cuneiform inscriptions found in the ruins of the ancient city of Ur, dating back to around 2500 BCE. These inscriptions suggest that the name was used among the ruling class of the Sumerian civilization, possibly referring to a high-ranking official or a member of the royal family.
In the centuries that followed, the name Zailin appeared sporadically in various historical records and literary works across the Middle East. One notable mention is found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known works of literature, where a character named Zailin is described as a wise and respected elder of the city of Uruk.
As civilizations rose and fell in the region, the name Zailin seemed to have been carried through various cultures and languages. It is believed to have been adopted and adapted by the Akkadians, Babylonians, and later the Persians, each adding their own linguistic influences to the name's pronunciation and spelling.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Zailin. One of the earliest recorded was Zailin of Ctesiphon (c. 250 CE), a renowned scholar and philosopher who contributed significantly to the development of early Islamic thought. Another was Zailin al-Misri (c. 1050 CE), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of trigonometry.
During the medieval period, the name Zailin gained popularity among the ruling classes of various Islamic empires. One notable figure was Zailin al-Din Mahmud (1207-1274 CE), a powerful Seljuk sultan who ruled over a vast territory spanning modern-day Iran, Iraq, and parts of Turkey. His reign was marked by military conquests and patronage of the arts and sciences.
In more recent times, the name Zailin has been recorded among various communities across the Middle East and Central Asia. One notable bearer of the name was Zailin Khayyam (1864-1935), a Persian poet and philosopher who gained international recognition for his works exploring themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
While the name Zailin may have fallen out of widespread use in recent centuries, it remains a fascinating glimpse into the rich cultural and linguistic tapestry of the ancient world, serving as a reminder of the enduring legacies that have shaped our modern understanding of history and language.
People
Zailin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zailin 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
Zailin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zailin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zailin 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Zailin a common name?
We classify Zailin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zailin most popular?
The single biggest year for Zailin was 2016, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zailin is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Zailin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zailin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zailin 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 Zailin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zailin 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 Zailin 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Zailin?
See how many Americans are named Zailin on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.