Zayed
An Arabic name meaning "he who increases" or "prosperous".
Name Census estimates that about 373 living Americans carry the first name Zayed. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zayed today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zayed births was 2018 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zayed. 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
373
~ 1 in 918,912 Americans
Peak year
2018
33 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,216
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Zayed: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zayed 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 210 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zayed remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zayed 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 Zayed during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zayeds live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Texas, New York, California recorded the most babies named Zayed, while California, New York, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zayed
The name Zayed is derived from the Arabic word "zayd," which means "increase" or "abundance." It is a masculine given name that has been used in the Arab world for centuries.
In Arabic culture, the name Zayed is associated with prosperity, growth, and fertility. It was commonly given to boys in the hope that they would grow up to be successful and prosperous individuals.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Zayed can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. In Surah Al-Ahzab (33:37), the name Zayd is mentioned as the name of a companion of the Prophet Muhammad.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Zayed. One of the most famous was Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan (1918-2004), the founder and first President of the United Arab Emirates. He played a crucial role in uniting the seven emirates and establishing the UAE as a modern and prosperous nation.
Another prominent figure with the name Zayed was Zayed bin Shaker (1801-1856), a renowned Arab poet and scholar from Najd, Saudi Arabia. He was widely acclaimed for his contributions to Arabic literature and his mastery of the Arabic language.
In the 12th century, Zayed bin Husayn Al-Kufi (1088-1162) was a renowned Islamic scholar and theologian from Kufa, Iraq. He was known for his extensive knowledge of the Quran and Islamic jurisprudence, and his works were widely studied in the Islamic world.
Zayed bin Ali Al-Husayni (1588-1668) was a prominent Arab historian and scholar who lived in Damascus, Syria. He authored several books on the history of the Arab world, including a comprehensive work on the history of Damascus.
Zayed bin Muhammad Al-Wadi'i (1671-1718) was an influential Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic from Yemen. He was known for his poetry, which often explored themes of spirituality and divine love.
These are just a few examples of the many notable figures throughout history who have borne the name Zayed. The name has a rich heritage and continues to be widely used in the Arab world, carrying with it the connotations of abundance, prosperity, and growth.
People
Zayed + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zayed 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
Zayed: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zayed?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 373 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zayed 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 918,912 US residents.
Is Zayed a common name?
We classify Zayed as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 376 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zayed most popular?
The single biggest year for Zayed was 2018, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zayed is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zayed a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zayed 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.
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.