Zoye
Name of uncertain origin, possibly an invented name or a variant spelling.
Name Census estimates that about 64 living Americans carry the first name Zoye. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zoye today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zoye births was 2009 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zoye. 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 Zoye. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
64
~ 1 in 5,355,537 Americans
Peak year
2009
10 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2010 SSA rank
#12,270
Tracked since 2000
Census
Zoye in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 127 people with the first name Zoye, which placed it at #49,170 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#49,170
National first-name rank
People counted
127
127 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
58.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zoye
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Zoye is White at 58.3%. The next largest groups are Black (26.8%) and Hispanic (8.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Zoye described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Zoye at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.3% · 74
- Black or African American26.8% · 34
- Hispanic or Latino8.7% · 11
- Two or more races3.1% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 2
Popularity
Zoye: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zoye from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 56 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zoye 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 Zoye 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 Zoye
The name Zoye is a unique and intriguing moniker that has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language of India. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "jyoti," which translates to "light" or "radiance." This connection to luminescence and brilliance has imbued the name with a sense of positivity and warmth throughout its history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zoye can be traced back to the Upanishads, a collection of ancient Indian philosophical texts dating back to around the 8th century BCE. In these sacred texts, the concept of "jyoti" is explored as a metaphor for the divine spark within all beings, representing the eternal and transcendent nature of the soul.
During the medieval period, the name Zoye gained popularity among various spiritual and mystical traditions in India. It was often associated with individuals who dedicated their lives to the pursuit of enlightenment and spiritual growth. One notable figure from this era was Zoye Nath, a revered mystic and poet who lived in the 13th century CE. His writings explored themes of universal love, compassion, and the divine essence within all creation.
As the name Zoye traveled across the globe, it found a foothold in various cultures and societies. In the 16th century, a Persian philosopher and scholar named Zoye al-Din Rumi gained recognition for his profound insights into the nature of existence and the human condition. His poetic works, which explored the concept of divine love, continue to inspire and influence readers to this day.
Zoye has also been the name of several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Zoye Khurana, a 17th-century Indian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. Her groundbreaking work on planetary motion and the calculation of eclipses earned her widespread acclaim and recognition.
In more recent times, the name Zoye has been carried by individuals from various walks of life. Zoye Ghani, born in 1932, was a renowned Pakistani artist celebrated for her vibrant and expressive paintings that captured the essence of her native land. Zoye Acharya, born in 1945, was an Indian social activist and environmentalist who dedicated her life to promoting sustainable living and protecting the natural world.
While the name Zoye may not be as common as some others, its rich history and association with luminescence, spirituality, and intellectual pursuits have made it a cherished and meaningful moniker for those who bear it. Its enduring presence across cultures and centuries serves as a testament to the enduring power of names and their ability to carry the stories and legacies of countless individuals throughout the ages.
People
Zoye + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zoye 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
Zoye: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zoye?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 64 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zoye 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 5,355,537 US residents.
Is Zoye a common name?
We classify Zoye as "Very Rare". It ranks above 58% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 65 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zoye most popular?
The single biggest year for Zoye was 2009, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zoye is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Zoye in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 127 people with the name Zoye, or 0.04 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #49,170 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Zoye in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Zoye?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Zoye leans strongly female. 121 people counted with this name were female (98.4%), compared with 2 male bearers (1.6%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Zoye?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Zoye is White at 58.3%. The next largest groups are Black (26.8%) and Hispanic (8.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Zoye most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Zoye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.3% (74 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Zoye in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zoye a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zoye 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 Zoye still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zoye 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 Zoye 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.
How many people have Zoye as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Zoye on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.