Zhion
A masculine name of uncertain origin, possibly from Tibetan or Nepali languages.
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the first name Zhion. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zhion today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zhion births was 2016 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zhion. 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.
People living today
112
~ 1 in 3,060,307 Americans
Peak year
2016
13 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,290
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Zhion: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zhion from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 80 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zhion 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 Zhion 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 Zhion
The given name Zhion has its origins rooted in the ancient Mesopotamian civilization, which flourished in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, around 3500 BCE to 539 BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Akkadian word "zhionu," which translates to "life-giver" or "bringer of life."
This name was particularly prevalent among the Babylonian and Assyrian cultures, where it was often bestowed upon newborns as a symbol of hope and prosperity. In ancient Sumerian cuneiform tablets, the name Zhion has been found etched alongside various mythological figures and deities associated with fertility and renewal.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zhion dates back to around 2500 BCE, when it was inscribed on a clay tablet chronicling the birth of a nobleman's son in the city of Ur. Throughout the centuries, the name has undergone minor variations in spelling and pronunciation, such as "Zion" or "Zihon," but its essential meaning has remained unchanged.
In the annals of history, several notable individuals have borne the name Zhion. One such figure was Zhion of Uruk (circa 2000 BCE), a renowned poet and scholar whose works were highly revered in ancient Mesopotamia. Another was Zhion the Scribe (circa 1500 BCE), a legendary Babylonian chronicler whose detailed records of celestial events and astrological observations were instrumental in the development of early astronomy.
During the Hellenistic period, a Greek philosopher named Zhion of Ephesus (circa 300 BCE) gained recognition for his teachings on ethics and the pursuit of virtue. In the realm of religion, Zhion the Martyr (circa 300 CE) was a Christian saint who was persecuted for his faith during the Roman Empire's persecution of early Christians.
Fast-forwarding to the Middle Ages, Zhion the Wise (circa 800 CE) was a renowned scholar and mathematician from the Abbasid Caliphate, whose contributions to the fields of algebra and geometry were significantly influential during the Islamic Golden Age.
People
Zhion + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zhion 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
Zhion: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zhion?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 112 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zhion 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 3,060,307 US residents.
Is Zhion a common name?
We classify Zhion as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 113 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zhion most popular?
The single biggest year for Zhion was 2016, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zhion is about 11 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 Zhion in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zhion a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zhion 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 Zhion still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zhion 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 Zhion 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 Zhion?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.