Zoltan
Of Hungarian origin, meaning "defender of the king or kingdom".
Name Census estimates that about 748 living Americans carry the first name Zoltan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zoltan today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zoltan births was 1967 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zoltan. 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
748
~ 1 in 458,228 Americans
Peak year
1967
25 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,723
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Zoltan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zoltan from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 189 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zoltan 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 Zoltan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zoltans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Zoltan, while Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zoltan
The name Zoltan originates from the Hungarian language and culture, with roots dating back to the 9th century. It is derived from the old Hungarian word "zoltán," which means "lord" or "ruler." The name was likely given to nobility or those of high social status during the Middle Ages in Hungary.
Zoltan has a strong historical presence in Hungarian literature and folklore. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Gesta Hungarorum, a 13th-century chronicle that recounts the origin story of the Hungarian people. The name is also mentioned in various medieval documents and records related to the Hungarian nobility.
The earliest recorded person with the name Zoltan was Zoltan of Transylvania, a Hungarian nobleman who lived in the 15th century. Other notable historical figures bearing the name include Zoltan Kodaly (1882-1967), a renowned Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist who helped revive and preserve traditional Hungarian folk music.
In the realm of literature, Zoltan Meskó (1833-1905) was a prominent Hungarian writer and dramatist during the 19th century. His works often explored the themes of Hungarian nationalism and the struggles of the common people.
Moving into the 20th century, Zoltan Tildy (1889-1961) was a Hungarian politician who served as the first president of the Second Hungarian Republic after World War II. He played a crucial role in the country's transition to democracy during that turbulent period.
Another notable figure was Zoltan Ovary (1940-2022), a Hungarian-American biologist and inventor who made significant contributions to the field of reproductive biology and assisted reproductive technologies, including the development of the first successful human in vitro fertilization procedure.
Zoltan has remained a popular name in Hungary throughout the centuries, carrying a sense of tradition and cultural significance. While its usage may have fluctuated over time, the name continues to be embraced by Hungarian families, often as a way to honor their heritage and national identity.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Zoltan
People
Zoltan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zoltan 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
Zoltan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zoltan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 748 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zoltan 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 458,228 US residents.
Is Zoltan a common name?
We classify Zoltan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,018 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zoltan most popular?
The single biggest year for Zoltan was 1967, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zoltan is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zoltan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zoltan 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.
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.