Zakeya
A feminine Arabic name meaning "intelligent" or "pure".
Name Census estimates that about 179 living Americans carry the first name Zakeya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zakeya today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zakeya births was 1999 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zakeya. 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.
People living today
179
~ 1 in 1,914,829 Americans
Peak year
1999
26 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2020 SSA rank
#15,031
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Zakeya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zakeya from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 88 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zakeya 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 Zakeya 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 Zakeya
The name Zakeya is of Arabic origin and is derived from the Arabic root word "zaka," which means "to purify" or "to increase." It is a feminine name that has been in use for centuries in the Arab world and Islamic cultures.
In Arabic literature and Islamic texts, the name Zakeya is often associated with purity, righteousness, and spiritual growth. It is believed to have been inspired by the Islamic concept of "zakat," which refers to the obligation of giving a portion of one's wealth to those in need.
The earliest recorded use of the name Zakeya can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and the early years of Islam. One of the most notable historical figures with this name was Zakeya bint Amir, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who was known for her piety and devotion to the Islamic faith.
Throughout the centuries, the name Zakeya has been borne by various notable women in the Arab and Islamic worlds. One such figure was Zakeya Shukri (1882-1938), an Egyptian feminist and writer who advocated for women's rights and education in the early 20th century.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Zakeya Ismail (1918-2020), an Egyptian writer and academic who made significant contributions to the field of Arabic literature and criticism. She was a recipient of several prestigious literary awards and was widely respected for her scholarly work.
In the realm of poetry, Zakeya Azmeh (1924-2001) was a renowned Syrian poet and writer whose works explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition. Her poetic legacy continues to influence contemporary Arabic literature.
Zakeya Abboud (1924-2005) was a Palestinian artist and ceramicist whose works celebrated Palestinian culture and identity. Her intricate ceramic pieces were exhibited globally and are considered significant contributions to the art world.
Lastly, Zakeya Hammad (born 1953) is a Moroccan writer and academic who has written extensively on women's issues and Arab feminism. Her works have been influential in shaping contemporary discourse on gender and social justice in the Arab world.
People
Zakeya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zakeya 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
Zakeya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zakeya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 179 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zakeya 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 1,914,829 US residents.
Is Zakeya a common name?
We classify Zakeya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 184 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zakeya most popular?
The single biggest year for Zakeya was 1999, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zakeya is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zakeya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zakeya in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.