Zayana
An Arabic feminine name meaning "ornament, decoration" or "beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 273 living Americans carry the first name Zayana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zayana today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zayana births was 2010 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zayana. 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 Zayana with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
273
~ 1 in 1,255,510 Americans
Peak year
2010
21 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,557
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Zayana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zayana from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 153 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zayana remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zayana 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 Zayana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zayanas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Zayana
The name Zayana is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with its roots tracing back to ancient civilizations in the Middle East. It is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "zayn," which means "beauty" or "ornament." This suggests that the name Zayana may have been given to girls who were considered beautiful or adorned.
In the early Islamic era, the name Zayana was relatively uncommon, but it gained popularity during the medieval period, particularly among the ruling elite and wealthy families in the region. Some historians speculate that the name may have been used by noble families to express their admiration for beauty and grace.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zayana can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab poet and scholar, Abu Nuwas, who lived in the 8th century CE. In his poetry, he mentions a woman named Zayana, whom he described as being exceptionally beautiful and captivating.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Zayana. One such person was Zayana al-Rashidiyah, a 13th-century princess from the Ayyubid dynasty in Syria, known for her patronage of the arts and her influential role in regional politics.
Another prominent figure was Zayana al-Andalusiyah, a 15th-century Andalusian poet and scholar from Granada, Spain. Her works were widely acclaimed and celebrated for their depth and eloquence, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the Moorish era in Iberia.
In more recent times, Zayana Mukhina (1904-1986) was a renowned Russian sculptor, known for her monumental works that celebrated the Soviet era. Her most famous creation, "Worker and Kolkhoz Woman," became an iconic symbol of the Soviet Union and is still a prominent landmark in Moscow.
Zayana Rasul (1953-2005) was a celebrated Kurdish singer and musician from Iraq, whose powerful vocals and poetic lyrics earned her widespread acclaim throughout the Middle East. She was revered as a cultural icon and a voice for the Kurdish people.
Lastly, Zayana Bakri (born 1982) is a contemporary Moroccan actress and model, who has gained international recognition for her roles in various films and television series. Her striking beauty and talent have made her a prominent figure in the North African entertainment industry.
People
Zayana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zayana 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
Zayana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zayana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 273 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zayana 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 1,255,510 US residents.
Is Zayana a common name?
We classify Zayana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 275 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zayana most popular?
The single biggest year for Zayana was 2010, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zayana is about 11 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 Zayana in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zayana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zayana 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.
Is Zayana still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zayana 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 Zayana 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 common is the name Zayana?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.