Zeo
A masculine name derived from Greek meaning "life" or "vital force".
Name Census estimates that about 63 living Americans carry the first name Zeo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zeo today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zeo births was 2023 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zeo. 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 Zeo with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Zeo. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
63
~ 1 in 5,440,545 Americans
Peak year
2023
15 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,807
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Zeo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zeo from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 46 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zeo 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 Zeo 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 Zeo
The name Zeo is a relatively rare and obscure given name, with its origins shrouded in mystery and uncertainty. Some scholars believe it may have its roots in ancient Greek or Latin, while others suggest it could be derived from a more obscure language or dialect.
One theory suggests that Zeo may be a variant spelling or derivative of the Greek name Zeno, which was derived from the word "zên" meaning "life." Zeno was the name of several prominent Greek philosophers, including Zeno of Elea (circa 490-430 BCE), the founder of the Eleatic school of philosophy, and Zeno of Citium (circa 334-262 BCE), the founder of Stoicism.
Another possible origin could be the Latin word "zephyrus," which means "west wind." In ancient Roman mythology, Zephyrus was the personification of the western wind, often depicted as a winged youth.
While there are no definitive historical records or ancient texts that explicitly mention the name Zeo, a few notable individuals throughout history have borne this name, though their biographical details are often scarce.
One of the earliest recorded instances is Zeo of Tenos, a Greek sculptor from the 5th century BCE who is known for his contributions to the sculpting of the Parthenon in Athens. Another figure is Zeo the Martyr, a Christian saint from the 4th century CE who was allegedly persecuted and martyred for his faith, though details of his life are largely obscure.
In more recent times, Zeo Fawkes (1590-1671) was an English political activist and one of the key figures involved in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a failed attempt to assassinate King James I of England.
Zeo Thaddeus (1842-1920) was a German-born American painter and illustrator, known for his landscapes and portraits, who worked primarily in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Lastly, Zeo Kovalevsky (1892-1967) was a Russian-born American engineer and inventor, who made significant contributions to the development of early computing machines and is considered a pioneer in the field of computer science.
While the name Zeo remains relatively uncommon, these historical figures serve as a testament to the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have borne this enigmatic moniker throughout the ages.
People
Zeo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zeo 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
Zeo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zeo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 63 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zeo 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 5,440,545 US residents.
Is Zeo a common name?
We classify Zeo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 57.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 63 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zeo most popular?
The single biggest year for Zeo was 2023, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zeo is about 5 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 Zeo in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zeo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zeo 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 Zeo still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zeo 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 Zeo 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 Americans are named Zeo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.