Zimbabwe
An African name meaning "venerated houses" or "houses of stone".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Zimbabwe. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zimbabwe today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zimbabwe births was 1981 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zimbabwe. 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 Zimbabwe. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1981
5 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
1981 SSA rank
#7,287
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Zimbabwe: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Zimbabwe
The name Zimbabwe is a modern place name that refers to the country located in Southern Africa. It does not have an ancient linguistic origin or long history as a personal name.
The word "Zimbabwe" is derived from the Shona phrase "dzimba dza mabwe", which means "houses of stone". This refers to the impressive stone ruins found in the country, such as the Great Zimbabwe monument which dates back to the 11th century.
The name Zimbabwe was officially adopted in 1980 when the country gained independence from the United Kingdom and changed its name from Rhodesia. Prior to that, the name Zimbabwe was not widely used as a personal name.
There are no known historical references or ancient texts mentioning Zimbabwe as a personal name, given its modern origins and association with the country's name.
While there may be some individuals named Zimbabwe in recent times, inspired by the country's name, there are no notable historical figures recorded with this name before the late 20th century. The name's usage as a personal name is relatively new and not well-documented in historical records.
In summary, Zimbabwe is a modern place name that became the official name of the Southern African country in 1980. It does not have a long-standing history or tradition as a personal name, given its recent adoption and lack of ancient linguistic roots or references in historical texts.
People
Zimbabwe + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zimbabwe 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
Zimbabwe: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zimbabwe?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe a common name?
We classify Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe most popular?
The single biggest year for Zimbabwe was 1981, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zimbabwe is about 43 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 Zimbabwe in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zimbabwe a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe?
See how many Americans are named Zimbabwe on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.