Zoi
A feminine Greek name meaning "life".
Name Census estimates that about 855 living Americans carry the first name Zoi. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zoi today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zoi births was 2010 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zoi. 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
855
~ 1 in 400,882 Americans
Peak year
2010
44 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,282
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Zoi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zoi from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 339 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zoi remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zoi 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 Zoi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zois live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Texas, Florida, Illinois recorded the most babies named Zoi, while New York, North Carolina, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zoi
The name Zoi originates from the Greek language and has its roots in the ancient Greek word "zoe," which means "life." This name has been in use since antiquity, and its earliest recorded appearance can be traced back to ancient Greek texts and literature.
One of the earliest known references to the name Zoi can be found in the works of the ancient Greek poet Sappho, who lived around 630-570 BC. In her poetry, Sappho often celebrated the beauty and vitality of life, making the name Zoi a fitting choice for a newborn child.
In the Byzantine era, the name Zoi gained popularity among the Greek Orthodox Christian community. It was often bestowed upon girls as a symbol of the eternal life promised by their faith. Several notable historical figures bore this name, including Zoe Karbonopsina (c. 978-1042), a Byzantine empress known for her intelligence and political acumen.
Another famous bearer of the name Zoi was Zoe Porphyrogenita (c. 978-1050), a Byzantine princess and scholar who was renowned for her literary talents and patronage of the arts. Her writings and influence on the cultural life of Constantinople made her a significant figure in the history of the Byzantine Empire.
During the Renaissance period, the name Zoi found its way into Western Europe, particularly in areas with strong ties to the Greek diaspora. One notable example is Zoe Nikephoros (c. 1599-1638), a Greek scholar and translator who played a crucial role in disseminating Greek literature and philosophy in the West.
In the modern era, the name Zoi has continued to be popular among Greek communities worldwide. One of the most famous contemporary bearers of this name is Zoi Konstantopoulou (born 1976), a Greek lawyer and politician who served as the Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament from 2015 to 2016.
Overall, the name Zoi carries a rich cultural and historical significance, reflecting the Greek reverence for life and its enduring beauty. From ancient poets to Byzantine empresses and modern-day politicians, this name has been borne by remarkable individuals who have left their mark on the world.
People
Zoi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zoi 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
Zoi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zoi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 855 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zoi 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 400,882 US residents.
Is Zoi a common name?
We classify Zoi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 867 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zoi most popular?
The single biggest year for Zoi was 2010, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zoi is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zoi a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zoi 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.
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.