Zim
A diminutive form of Zimri, a Hebrew name meaning "my praise".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Zim. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zim today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zim births was 2009 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zim. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Zim. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2009
6 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2018 SSA rank
#14,095
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Zim: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zim from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 6 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
Zim 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 Zim 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 Zim
The name Zim is believed to have originated from the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in the region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500-3000 BCE. It is thought to be derived from the Sumerian word "zim," which means "life" or "breath." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to commemorate the birth or vitality of a child.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zim can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem dating back to the third millennium BCE. In this epic, Zim is mentioned as the name of a minor character, possibly a servant or attendant to the main protagonist, Gilgamesh.
During the Neo-Babylonian period (626-539 BCE), the name Zim was also documented in cuneiform inscriptions and administrative records. It was likely used as a personal name by individuals living in the region at that time.
In ancient Egypt, the name Zim was sometimes used as a variant spelling of the name "Sem," which was derived from the Egyptian word "sem," meaning "to go" or "to walk." This connection suggests that the name may have been associated with concepts of movement or travel in certain contexts.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Zim was Zim-ri, a king of Israel who reigned briefly in the 9th century BCE. According to the biblical account in 1 Kings 16, Zim-ri usurped the throne from Elah but ruled for only seven days before committing suicide.
Another notable figure with the name Zim was Zim-rī, a prince of the Sidonians mentioned in the Bible (1 Kings 16:9). He is recorded as having conspired against King Elah of Israel and subsequently becoming the fifth king of the Kingdom of Israel.
In the Middle Ages, the name Zim appeared in various European records, particularly in German and Scandinavian contexts. One example is Zim von Rothenburg, a German knight and minstrel who lived in the 13th century and was known for his lyrical compositions.
During the Renaissance period, the name Zim was occasionally used in literary works. For instance, Zim was a character in the play "The Alchemist" by Ben Jonson, first performed in 1610.
In the 19th century, Zim was the name of a minor character in the novel "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, published in 1884. Zim was a young boy who briefly accompanied Huckleberry Finn and Jim on their journey down the Mississippi River.
People
Zim + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zim 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
Zim: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zim?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zim 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Zim a common name?
We classify Zim as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zim most popular?
The single biggest year for Zim was 2009, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zim is about 13 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 Zim in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zim a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zim 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 Zim still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zim 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 Zim 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 called Zim?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.