Zimir
A Yiddish name meaning "singer" or "songbird".
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the first name Zimir. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zimir today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zimir births was 2022 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zimir. 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
126
~ 1 in 2,720,273 Americans
Peak year
2022
13 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,942
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Zimir: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zimir 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 59 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
Zimir 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 Zimir 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 Zimir
The given name Zimir is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, spoken in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) during the 3rd millennium BC. It is thought to be derived from the Sumerian words "zi" meaning "life" and "mir" meaning "bright" or "brilliant," thus suggesting a meaning of "bright life" or "brilliant existence."
The earliest known reference to the name Zimir can be found in cuneiform inscriptions from the city of Ur, dating back to around 2500 BC. These inscriptions mention a high-ranking official named Zimir who served under the reign of the renowned Sumerian king Shulgi.
In the ancient Akkadian language, which was heavily influenced by Sumerian, the name took on the form "Zimri" and is mentioned in several historical records from the region. One notable figure bearing this name was Zimri, a king of Israel who reigned for only seven days in the 9th century BC, as recorded in the Hebrew Bible.
During the Byzantine era, the name Zimir gained popularity in parts of the Eastern Roman Empire, particularly in the region of modern-day Turkey. A famous bearer of this name was Zimir the Patrician, a high-ranking Byzantine official who lived in the 6th century AD and was known for his diplomatic efforts in maintaining peace between the Byzantines and the Sassanid Persian Empire.
In the Middle Ages, the name Zimir was also found in various regions of Europe, particularly in the Slavic and Germanic-speaking areas. One notable individual with this name was Zimir of Prague, a 12th-century Czech nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the conflicts between the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Bohemia.
Another historical figure bearing the name Zimir was Zimir Grits, a 16th-century Belarusian-Lithuanian noble and military leader who fought against the Grand Duchy of Moscow during the Livonian War. He is remembered for his bravery and tactical skills on the battlefield.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who bore the name Zimir throughout various periods and cultures. While the name has its roots in ancient Mesopotamia, it has been adapted and used in various forms across different regions and eras, reflecting its enduring appeal and significance.
People
Zimir + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zimir 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
Zimir: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zimir?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 126 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zimir 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 2,720,273 US residents.
Is Zimir a common name?
We classify Zimir as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 127 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zimir most popular?
The single biggest year for Zimir was 2022, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zimir is about 9 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 Zimir in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zimir a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zimir 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 Zimir still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zimir 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 Zimir 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 share the name Zimir?
Want to know how many people have the name Zimir? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.