Zohan first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Zohan has been for the last 12 years (from 2012 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Zohan

An Israeli masculine name meaning "splendor" or "radiance" in Hebrew.

Popularity of Zohan by gender

Based on the last 12 years of data, Zohan is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 81 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Zohan.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 81 0
2022 87 0
2021 78 0
2020 48 0
2019 26 0
2018 25 0
2017 19 0
2016 26 0
2015 10 0
2014 7 0
2012 6 0

The history of the first name Zohan

The name Zohan is a Hebrew name derived from the Biblical Hebrew word "zohar" meaning "radiance" or "brilliance." It can be traced back to ancient Israelite culture, where it was likely used as a descriptor or title rather than a personal name.

The earliest recorded use of Zohan as a personal name dates back to the Middle Ages, during the time of the Jewish diaspora in Europe. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Zohan ben Shlomo, a 13th-century Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived in Spain.

In the 16th century, Zohan Alemanno was an Italian Jewish philosopher and scholar who wrote extensively on Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. He was born in Constantinople in 1492 and died in Venice in 1542.

During the 17th century, Zohan Shemtov was a prominent Sephardic Jew who lived in Amsterdam. He was a successful merchant and played an essential role in the thriving Jewish community of the city.

In the 19th century, Zohan Hirsch Kalischer was a prominent Orthodox Jewish rabbi and scholar from Thorn, Prussia (now ToruĊ„, Poland). He was born in 1795 and died in 1874, and was a proponent of the proto-Zionist movement, advocating for the settlement of Jews in the Land of Israel.

Another notable individual with the name Zohan was Zohan Ginzburg, a Russian-born Israeli author and journalist who lived from 1892 to 1961. He was a prolific writer and published numerous works on Jewish history and culture.

While the name Zohan has its roots in ancient Hebrew culture, it has since been adopted by various Jewish communities around the world, particularly in Israel and among Sephardic Jews. However, it remains a relatively uncommon name overall.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Zohan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Zohan, please contact us.

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"Zohan first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 25, 2025. http://namecensus.com/first-names/zohan-meaning-and-history/.

"Zohan first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/zohan-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 25 April, 2025

Zohan first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/zohan-meaning-and-history/.

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