Zidane
A French name derived from the Arabic name Zidaan, meaning "the conquerer".
Name Census estimates that about 643 living Americans carry the first name Zidane. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zidane today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zidane births was 2019 (49 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zidane. 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
643
~ 1 in 533,055 Americans
Peak year
2019
49 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,942
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Zidane: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zidane from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 313 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zidane remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zidane 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 Zidane during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zidanes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Zidane, while Florida, Texas, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 46 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zidane
The given name Zidane is of French origin, derived from the Arabic name Zidan, which itself is a diminutive form of the Arabic word "zayd," meaning "increase" or "abundance." The name is believed to have first emerged in the 7th century during the Islamic Golden Age, when Arabic names and culture spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
In Islamic tradition, the name Zidane is associated with the Prophetic tradition, as it is said to have been the name of one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. This lends the name a significant historical and religious significance within the Islamic world.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Zidane can be traced back to medieval times in various regions of the Arab world, including modern-day Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. During this period, the name was particularly popular among the Berber populations of North Africa.
One of the most famous historical figures to bear the name Zidane was Zidane ibn al-Layth al-Qayrawani (823-894 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Kairouan, Tunisia. He was a prominent figure in the Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence and authored several influential works on Islamic law.
Another notable individual with the name Zidane was Zidane ibn Yahya al-Andalusi (1012-1082 CE), a distinguished poet and scholar from Andalusia, modern-day Spain. He was celebrated for his contributions to Arabic literature and his mastery of various poetic forms.
In more recent history, the name Zidane garnered global recognition through the French footballer Zinedine Zidane, born in 1972. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and was a key member of the French national team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 European Championship.
Another prominent figure with the name Zidane was Zidane Moussa Zergaoui (1939-2021), a renowned Moroccan writer and journalist. He was a prominent figure in the Moroccan literary scene and was known for his works that explored themes of identity, culture, and social issues.
Additionally, Zidane Farouk (born in 1987) is a French professional footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Marseille. He has represented the French national team at various youth levels and has also played for several clubs in France and abroad.
People
Zidane + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zidane 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
Zidane: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zidane?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 643 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zidane 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 533,055 US residents.
Is Zidane a common name?
We classify Zidane as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 648 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zidane most popular?
The single biggest year for Zidane was 2019, when 49 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zidane is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zidane a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zidane 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.
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.