Zarya
A feminine Russian name meaning "dawn" or "sunrise".
Name Census estimates that about 637 living Americans carry the first name Zarya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zarya today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zarya births was 2022 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zarya. 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
637
~ 1 in 538,076 Americans
Peak year
2022
42 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,647
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Zarya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zarya from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 262 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zarya remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zarya 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 Zarya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zaryas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Zarya, while Georgia, Florida, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zarya
The name Zarya is of Slavic origin and is derived from the Russian word "zarya," which means "dawn" or "daybreak." It is a feminine name that has been used in various Slavic cultures, particularly in Russia and Ukraine.
The earliest recorded use of the name Zarya can be traced back to the 10th century, when it appeared in ancient Slavic folklore and literature. In these early texts, the name was often used to symbolize the arrival of a new day or a fresh start, reflecting the name's meaning.
One of the most notable historical references to the name Zarya is found in the Russian epic poem "The Lay of Igor's Campaign," which dates back to the 12th century. In this literary work, the name is mentioned in the context of a battle, suggesting its association with strength and resilience.
Throughout history, several famous individuals have borne the name Zarya. Zarya Morozova (1633-1707) was a Russian noblewoman and the wife of Boyar Ilya Morozov, who played a significant role in the regency of Tsar Alexis I. Zarya Treshchenkova (1890-1952) was a Russian revolutionary and Bolshevik who actively participated in the October Revolution of 1917.
Another notable figure was Zarya Abdullayeva (1920-2001), an Azerbaijani opera singer who gained international recognition for her performances in the Soviet Union and beyond. Zarya Kliuchnikova (1921-1996) was a Soviet athlete who competed in track and field events, winning multiple medals at the European Championships and the Olympic Games.
In the literary world, Zarya Malen'kaya (1909-1976) was a renowned Russian writer and poet, known for her works celebrating the beauty of nature and the simple joys of life. Her poetry collections, such as "Zarya Voskhoda" (Dawn of the East), reflected the essence of her name.
While the name Zarya has its roots in Slavic cultures, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among those with an appreciation for its symbolic meaning and historical significance.
People
Zarya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zarya 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
Zarya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zarya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 637 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zarya 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 538,076 US residents.
Is Zarya a common name?
We classify Zarya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 643 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zarya most popular?
The single biggest year for Zarya was 2022, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zarya is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zarya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zarya 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.