Find out how popular the first name Zaily has been for the last 36 years (from 1989 to 2024) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Zaily by gender

Based on the last 36 years of data, Zaily is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2024, there were 9 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Zaily.

The history of the first name Zaily

The name Zaily is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "zayl" which means "tail" or "train" in reference to the trailing part of a garment. It emerged during the early medieval period in the Arabian Peninsula and gradually spread across the Islamic world.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the writings of the renowned Islamic scholar and philosopher Al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE), who mentioned a contemporary named Zaily ibn Abi al-Qasim. This suggests the name was in use among the intellectual circles of the 11th century.

During the 12th century, the name gained prominence with the rise of the Zaylid dynasty, a Berber ruling family that governed parts of modern-day Algeria and Tunisia. The founder of the dynasty, Zaily ibn Manad (1105-1163 CE), was a prominent figure who fought against the Almohad Caliphate.

In the realm of literature, the name appears in the works of the celebrated Persian poet Saadi Shirazi (1210-1292 CE), who wrote about a character named Zaily in his famous prose work, Golestan. This reference indicates the use of the name in the Persian cultural sphere during the medieval period.

Moving forward in history, one notable bearer of the name was Zaily Khan (1645-1712 CE), a military commander and governor of the Mughal Empire in India. He played a significant role in the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb and was known for his military campaigns against the Marathas.

Another prominent figure was Zaily al-Kabir (1753-1832 CE), an influential Sufi scholar and mystic from Yemen. He authored several works on Islamic spirituality and jurisprudence, leaving a lasting impact on the religious and intellectual landscape of the region.

It is worth noting that while the name Zaily has its roots in the Arabic language, it has been adopted and adapted by various cultures over time, with variations in spelling and pronunciation occurring across different regions and linguistic traditions.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Zaily was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Zaily, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!