Zulu
A given name derived from the ethnic group of the same name in South Africa.
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Zulu. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zulu today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zulu births was 2021 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zulu. 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 Zulu. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
2021
8 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2021 SSA rank
#9,704
Tracked since 2021
Popularity
Zulu: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Zulu 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 Zulu during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 8 | 0 | 8 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Zulu
The name Zulu has its origins in the Nguni languages of southern Africa, specifically the language spoken by the Zulu people, an ethnic group that traces its roots back to the early 17th century. The Zulu kingdom, founded by Shaka Zulu in the early 19th century, played a significant role in shaping the history of the region.
The word "Zulu" is thought to derive from the term "Ntu Zulu," which translates to "People of Heaven" or "People of the Celestial Realm." This connection to the heavens is reflected in the name's association with the Zulu people's rich cultural heritage and their reverence for celestial bodies and the natural world.
In ancient times, the name Zulu appeared in various oral traditions and narratives passed down among the Zulu people, serving as a reminder of their ancestry and cultural identity. However, there are no known written records of the name from that era.
One of the earliest recorded appearances of the name Zulu dates back to the late 18th century, when it was used to refer to the Zulu people and their language. As the Zulu kingdom rose to prominence under the leadership of Shaka Zulu in the early 19th century, the name gained wider recognition and became closely associated with this influential figure.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Zulu. Here are five examples:
1. Shaka Zulu (c. 1787-1828), the legendary Zulu king who established the Zulu kingdom and played a pivotal role in shaping the region's history.
2. Cetshwayo kaMpande (c. 1826-1884), the last king of the independent Zulu nation, who led the Zulu forces in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879.
3. Mangosuthu Buthelezi (born 1928), a prominent South African politician and leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, who played a significant role in the struggle against apartheid.
4. Zulu Gingqini (c. 1787-1847), a Zulu military leader and chief who served as a close advisor to Shaka Zulu during the expansion of the Zulu kingdom.
5. Zulu Velemu (c. 1750-1820), a Zulu chief and the father of Shaka Zulu, who played a role in the early development of the Zulu people.
The name Zulu has become a powerful symbol of the rich cultural heritage and resilience of the Zulu people, serving as a reminder of their enduring legacy and their impact on the history of southern Africa.
People
Zulu + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zulu 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
Zulu: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zulu?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zulu 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 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Zulu a common name?
We classify Zulu as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zulu most popular?
The single biggest year for Zulu was 2021, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zulu 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 Zulu in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zulu a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zulu 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.
Is Zulu still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zulu 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 Zulu 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 are named Zulu?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.