Zaneta
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly a variant of Janette.
Name Census estimates that about 886 living Americans carry the first name Zaneta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zaneta today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zaneta births was 1987 (45 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zaneta. 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
886
~ 1 in 386,856 Americans
Peak year
1987
45 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2024 SSA rank
#17,598
Tracked since 1949
Popularity
Zaneta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zaneta from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 311 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zaneta 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 Zaneta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zanetas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, New York, Illinois recorded the most babies named Zaneta, while Georgia, Florida, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zaneta
The name Zaneta is a feminine given name of Polish origin, derived from the name Zana, which is a diminutive form of the name Suzana or Susanna. The name Susanna has its roots in the Hebrew language and means "lily" or "rose." It was a popular name in ancient Israel and was borne by a biblical character in the Book of Daniel.
The earliest recorded use of the name Zaneta dates back to the 16th century in Poland. It was a relatively uncommon name during this period, primarily found among the Polish nobility and upper classes. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Zaneta Katarzyna Radziwiłłówna, a Polish noblewoman who lived in the late 16th century.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Zaneta gained some popularity in other parts of Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in areas with Polish cultural influence. However, it remained a relatively rare name, and few notable historical figures bore this name.
One of the earliest known literary references to the name Zaneta can be found in the works of the Polish poet and playwright Jan Kochanowski, who lived in the 16th century. He included a character named Zaneta in one of his pastoral plays.
The first recorded instance of the name Zaneta in Western Europe can be traced back to the late 18th century. Zaneta Maria Franciszka Krasińska, a Polish countess and art collector, lived from 1736 to 1801 and was well-known in the cultural circles of Paris and other European capitals.
In the 19th century, the name Zaneta became more widely used in Poland and other Slavic regions. One notable bearer of the name was Zaneta Iwańska, a Polish actress and theater director who lived from 1846 to 1922 and was a prominent figure in the Polish theater scene of her time.
Another historical figure with the name Zaneta was Zaneta Secemska, a Polish writer and poet who lived from 1876 to 1952. She was known for her works exploring themes of love, nature, and patriotism.
In the 20th century, the name Zaneta continued to be used in Poland and other Slavic countries, though it remained relatively uncommon. One notable bearer of the name was Zaneta Gilowska, a Polish politician and lawyer who served as a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009.
People
Zaneta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zaneta 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
Zaneta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zaneta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 886 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zaneta 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 386,856 US residents.
Is Zaneta a common name?
We classify Zaneta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 956 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zaneta most popular?
The single biggest year for Zaneta was 1987, when 45 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zaneta is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zaneta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zaneta 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.