Zehn
A German name meaning "ten" in English.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Zehn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zehn today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zehn births was 2022 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zehn. 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 Zehn with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Zehn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2022
5 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2022 SSA rank
#14,304
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Zehn: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Zehn 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 Zehn 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Zehn
The given name Zehn originates from the German language, and its roots can be traced back to the Middle High German period, spanning from around the 11th to the 14th century. The name Zehn is derived from the German word "zehn," which translates to the number "ten" in English. This numerical connection suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon a child who was the tenth born in a family or held some other significance related to the number ten.
Historically, numerical names were not uncommon in Germanic cultures, with many names being derived from numbers or ordinal positions. However, the use of Zehn as a given name appears to be relatively rare and obscure, with few recorded instances throughout history.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the name Zehn was a German monk and scholar who lived in the 14th century. His full name was Zehn von Heilbronn, and he was known for his contributions to the study of astronomy and mathematics during the medieval period.
In the 16th century, a German artist named Zehn Fiedler gained recognition for his intricate woodcarvings and sculptures adorning churches and cathedrals across central Europe. His artworks were renowned for their attention to detail and intricate designs.
During the 17th century, a German military leader named Zehn von Bützow played a significant role in the Thirty Years' War, leading troops in several battles and strategic campaigns. His bravery and tactical prowess were widely acknowledged by his contemporaries.
In the 19th century, a German philosopher and writer named Zehn Nietzsche, though not directly related to the famous Friedrich Nietzsche, gained recognition for his works exploring existential themes and the human condition. His writings, though not widely known, were influential in certain philosophical circles.
Another notable individual with the name Zehn was a German scientist named Zehn Planck, who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Planck made significant contributions to the field of theoretical physics and was instrumental in the development of quantum theory, earning him recognition and numerous accolades throughout his career.
While the name Zehn may have had a numerical or ordinal significance in its origins, its usage as a given name appears to be relatively rare and confined primarily to the German-speaking regions of Europe. The individuals mentioned above represent some of the few documented cases of this unique name throughout history.
People
Zehn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zehn 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
Zehn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zehn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zehn 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Zehn a common name?
We classify Zehn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zehn most popular?
The single biggest year for Zehn was 2022, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zehn is about 4 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 Zehn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zehn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zehn 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 Zehn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zehn 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 Zehn 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 are named Zehn?
Find out how many people have the name Zehn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.