Zebulah
An English spelling variation of Zebulun, a Hebrew name meaning "honor, dwelling place".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Zebulah. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zebulah today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zebulah births was 1979 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zebulah. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Zebulah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1979
7 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
1979 SSA rank
#5,352
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Zebulah: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Zebulah 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 Zebulah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Zebulah
The name Zebulah has its origins in the ancient Hebrew language and culture, dating back to biblical times. It is derived from the Hebrew name Zebulun, which means "dwelling" or "abode." This name was given to one of the twelve tribes of Israel, as mentioned in the book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible.
In the biblical account, Zebulun was one of the twelve sons of Jacob, the patriarch of the Israelites. The tribe of Zebulun was known for its maritime activities and was praised for its skill in seafaring and trade. The name Zebulah is a variation of this tribal name, likely adapted over time through different linguistic and cultural influences.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Zebulah can be found in the writings of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who lived in the first century CE. He documented the existence of individuals bearing the name Zebulah among the Jewish communities of his time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Zebulah. One such figure was Zebulah Pinkham (1790-1872), an American farmer and politician from Vermont, who served as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives in the early 19th century.
Another individual with the name Zebulah was Zebulah Weaver (1830-1908), a farmer and soldier from Ohio, who fought for the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was captured by Confederate forces during the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863 and spent several months as a prisoner of war.
In the 18th century, there was a Zebulah Holbrook (1728-1810), a farmer and town clerk in Massachusetts. He served as the town clerk of Douglass, Massachusetts, for over 40 years and was known for his meticulous record-keeping.
Another notable figure was Zebulah Cooke (1675-1744), an English minister and author who served as the rector of Stoke Charity in Hampshire, England. He published several theological works and sermons during his lifetime.
Lastly, there was Zebulah Stephenson (1790-1866), a prominent landowner and farmer in Ohio. He was one of the early settlers in the township of Medina, where he owned a large tract of land and played a significant role in the development of the local community.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Zebulah, a name with deep roots in ancient Hebrew culture and biblical tradition.
People
Zebulah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zebulah 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
Zebulah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zebulah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zebulah 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Zebulah a common name?
We classify Zebulah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zebulah most popular?
The single biggest year for Zebulah was 1979, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zebulah is about 44 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 Zebulah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zebulah a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zebulah 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.
Is Zebulah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zebulah 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 Zebulah 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 have the name Zebulah?
See how many people have the name Zebulah on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.