Zal
An ancient Persian name meaning "old man" or "elder".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Zal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zal today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zal births was 2020 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zal. 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 Zal with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Zal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2020
6 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2020 SSA rank
#11,987
Tracked since 2020
Popularity
Zal: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Zal 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 Zal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Zal
The given name Zal has its origins in Persian mythology and folklore. It is derived from the ancient Persian word "zāl" which means "old age" or "old man". The name is closely associated with the legendary Persian hero Zal, a prominent figure in the epic poem Shahnameh, written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century.
The tale of Zal is recounted in the Shahnameh, where he is depicted as the son of Sam, a mythical bird-like creature. Zal's hair was said to be white from birth, which was seen as a sign of wisdom and longevity. Despite initial rejection by his father due to his unusual appearance, Zal went on to become a great warrior and the father of the legendary hero Rostam.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zal can be found in the Shahnameh itself, where the character Zal is prominently featured. The name also appears in various Persian literary works and historical records throughout the centuries, reflecting its deep-rooted cultural significance in the region.
Among the notable historical figures who bore the name Zal, one can mention Zal Khalid Ghaznavi, a renowned scholar and poet from the 11th century who hailed from Ghazni, Afghanistan. Another prominent figure was Zal Khusrau, a 12th-century Persian poet and writer who was a contemporary of the famous poet Nizami Ganjavi.
In the 13th century, Zal-e Khawari was a prominent Sufi mystic and poet from Khwarazm, who contributed to the rich literary tradition of the region. Zal Beg Safavi, a 16th-century military commander and governor under the Safavid dynasty, was also a notable figure in Iranian history.
Additionally, Zal Khan, a 17th-century Afghan ruler from the Hotak dynasty, played a significant role in the region's political landscape during his reign. These are just a few examples of historical figures who carried the name Zal, reflecting its enduring presence across various eras and cultures influenced by Persian traditions.
People
Zal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zal 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
Zal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zal 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Zal a common name?
We classify Zal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zal most popular?
The single biggest year for Zal was 2020, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zal is about 6 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 Zal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zal 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 Zal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zal 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 Zal 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 people have the name Zal?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Zal on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.