Zehan
A Persian name meaning "having the world", "having a good mind".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Zehan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zehan today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zehan births was 2023 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zehan. 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 Zehan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Zehan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2023
6 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#12,214
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Zehan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Zehan 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 Zehan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Zehan
The name Zehan is believed to have originated from the Persian language, with roots dating back to ancient Persia, now known as Iran. It is a variation of the name Zahan, which means "tongue" or "speech" in Persian. The earliest recorded use of the name can be traced back to the 6th century CE, during the Sassanid Empire.
In ancient Persian literature, the name Zehan is mentioned in several texts, including the epic poem Shahnameh (Book of Kings), written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the 10th century CE. The name is often associated with eloquence, wisdom, and the ability to communicate effectively.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Zehan was a Persian scholar and philosopher who lived in the 9th century CE. He was known for his contributions to the field of Islamic philosophy and his writings on ethics and morality.
Another notable figure with the name Zehan was a 12th-century Persian poet and mystic, renowned for his spiritual verses and profound insights into the human condition. His works continue to be studied and celebrated by scholars and enthusiasts of Persian literature.
In the 14th century, a prominent Persian calligrapher named Zehan al-Din was renowned for his mastery of the art of calligraphy. His intricate and beautiful calligraphic works adorned the walls of mosques and palaces throughout the Persian Empire.
During the 16th century, a Persian mathematician and astronomer named Zehan al-Din al-Amili made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy. He is credited with developing advanced techniques for calculating planetary movements and predicting celestial events.
In the 19th century, a Persian scholar and linguist named Zehan al-Din Mirza wrote extensively on the Persian language and its dialects. His works were instrumental in preserving and documenting the rich linguistic heritage of Iran.
While the name Zehan has its roots in ancient Persia, it has since been adopted and used in various cultures and societies around the world, particularly in regions with historical connections to the Persian Empire.
People
Zehan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zehan 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
Zehan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zehan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zehan 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Zehan a common name?
We classify Zehan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zehan most popular?
The single biggest year for Zehan was 2023, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zehan is about 3 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 Zehan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zehan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zehan 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 Zehan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zehan 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 Zehan 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 Zehan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.