Zayneb
A feminine Arabic name meaning "that which adorns" or "beautiful blossom".
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the first name Zayneb. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zayneb today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zayneb births was 2023 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zayneb. 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 Zayneb with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
119
~ 1 in 2,880,289 Americans
Peak year
2023
12 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#15,214
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Zayneb: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zayneb 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 42 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zayneb remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zayneb 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 Zayneb during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zayneb
The name Zayneb (also spelled Zaineb, Zainab, Zeinab, and Zeineb) is a feminine given name of Arabic origin. It is derived from the Arabic root word "z-y-n," which means "adornment" or "beauty." The name can be interpreted to mean "one who adorns" or "the beautifully adorned one."
The name Zayneb has its roots in pre-Islamic Arabia, where it was used as a name for girls. It gained significant prominence in Islamic history due to its association with Zaynab bint Ali, the daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Zaynab bint Ali, who lived from 625 to 682 CE, is revered in Islam for her courage, resilience, and devotion to the faith.
Zayneb is mentioned in various religious texts and historical records. In addition to the Qur'an and Hadith, the name appears in early Islamic literature, such as the works of renowned scholars like Ibn Ishaq and Al-Tabari. These texts highlight the importance of Zaynab bint Ali and her role in preserving the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad's family.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Zayneb, including:
1. Zaynab bint Khuzayma (598-625 CE), one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad.
2. Zaynab bint Jahsh (590-641 CE), another wife of the Prophet Muhammad and the first to be mentioned in the Qur'an by name.
3. Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyah (805-865 CE), a renowned Sufi mystic and scholar from Baghdad.
4. Zaynab al-Ghazali (1917-2005), an influential Egyptian activist and writer who played a significant role in the Muslim Brotherhood movement.
5. Zayneb Nur Arshad (born 1985), a British actress known for her roles in various TV shows and films.
The name Zayneb has gained popularity across various cultures and regions, particularly among Muslim communities. Its association with prominent figures and its beautiful meaning have contributed to its enduring appeal throughout the centuries. While its use as a first name is well-documented, it has also been adopted as a surname or family name in some cases.
People
Zayneb + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zayneb 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
Zayneb: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zayneb?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 119 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zayneb 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 2,880,289 US residents.
Is Zayneb a common name?
We classify Zayneb as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 120 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zayneb most popular?
The single biggest year for Zayneb was 2023, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zayneb is about 13 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 Zayneb in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zayneb a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zayneb 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 Zayneb still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zayneb 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 Zayneb 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 share the name Zayneb?
Want to know how many Americans are named Zayneb? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.