Zoah
A name originating from Greek mythology, meaning "giver of life".
Name Census estimates that about 45 living Americans carry the first name Zoah. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 71.1% of registrations being female. The average person named Zoah today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zoah births was 2024 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zoah. 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 Zoah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
45
~ 1 in 7,616,763 Americans
Peak year
2024
9 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2023 SSA rank
#9,748
Tracked since 2017
Gender
Gender distribution for Zoah
Zoah is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 45 total registrations, 13 (28.9%) were male and 32 (71.1%) were female.
Zoah as a male name
- Ranked #9,748 in 2023
- 8 male births in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (8 births)
Zoah as a female name
- Ranked #11,063 in 2024
- 9 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (9 births)
Popularity
Zoah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zoah from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 33 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
Zoah 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 Zoah 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 Zoah
The name Zoah is an ancient name with its origins shrouded in mystery. It is believed to have emerged from the Aramaic language, which was widely spoken in the Middle East during the first millennium BC. The name's root, "zaah," is thought to mean "radiant" or "shining," suggesting a connection to the celestial bodies or divine light.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zoah can be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of ancient Hebrew and Aramaic texts discovered in the mid-20th century. These scrolls, dated between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD, contain references to individuals bearing this name, hinting at its usage during the Second Temple period in Judea.
In the annals of religious history, Zoah is mentioned in the Mishnah, a foundational text of Rabbinic Judaism compiled around the 3rd century AD. The Mishnah cites a Rabbi Zoah, who is believed to have lived during the 2nd century AD and is credited with several notable teachings and interpretations of Jewish law.
During the Byzantine era, a prominent figure named Zoah ibn Zarah emerged as a renowned scholar and physician. Born in the 6th century AD in present-day Syria, Zoah ibn Zarah authored several influential works on medicine and philosophy, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the region.
In the realm of literature, one of the earliest known poets to bear the name Zoah was Zoah al-Andalusi, who lived in Andalusia (modern-day Spain) during the 11th century AD. His poetic works, written in Arabic, were highly acclaimed and celebrated for their artistic merits.
Another notable figure with the name Zoah was Zoah al-Kashi, a Persian mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 15th century AD. Al-Kashi made significant contributions to the fields of trigonometry and numerical analysis, and his works were widely studied and referenced by scholars of his time.
While the name Zoah may not be as common in modern times, its rich history and diverse cultural influences continue to captivate those interested in the origins and meanings of names. Its connection to celestial bodies, divine light, and the pursuit of knowledge make it a name that carries a sense of wonder and intellectual curiosity.
People
Zoah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zoah 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
Zoah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zoah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 45 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zoah 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 7,616,763 US residents.
Is Zoah a common name?
We classify Zoah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 52.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 45 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zoah most popular?
The single biggest year for Zoah was 2024, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zoah is about 5 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 Zoah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zoah a female name?
Yes, 71.1% of people registered as Zoah in the SSA data are female. 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 Zoah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zoah 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 Zoah 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 have the name Zoah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.