Zurich
A German place name drawn from the Germanic zur "at" and rīch "fertile, prosperous."
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the first name Zurich. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zurich today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zurich births was 2017 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zurich. 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
133
~ 1 in 2,577,100 Americans
Peak year
2017
16 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,881
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Zurich: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zurich from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 74 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zurich remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zurich 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 Zurich 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 Zurich
The name Zurich has its origins in the German language and is believed to have originated in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old High German word "Zuri" or "Züri," which was a place name referring to the city of Zurich in present-day Switzerland. The name is thought to have evolved from an earlier Celtic or Gaulish root word, possibly related to the term "tur," meaning "water" or "river," reflecting the city's location on the Limmat River.
While the name Zurich itself does not have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the city of Zurich has a rich history dating back to the Roman era. The earliest recorded use of the name Zurich as a personal name can be traced back to the 15th century, when it was occasionally given to individuals born or residing in the city of Zurich.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Zurich was Zurich von Rappenstein, a Swiss nobleman born in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was a prominent figure in the city of Zurich and played a role in local politics and governance during his lifetime.
Another notable figure with the name Zurich was Zurich Zwingli, a Swiss Protestant leader and reformer born in 1484. He was a key figure in the Swiss Reformation and played a significant role in the spread of Protestant ideas in Switzerland and parts of Europe.
In the 17th century, Zurich Stübli, a Swiss painter and engraver, gained recognition for his intricate woodcut illustrations and engravings depicting religious and historical scenes. He was born in Zurich in 1612 and his work was highly influential in the development of Swiss art during that period.
During the 18th century, Zurich Lavater, a Swiss poet, philosopher, and theologian, rose to prominence for his work on physiognomy, the study of facial features and their relationship to character and personality traits. He was born in Zurich in 1741 and his writings on physiognomy had a significant impact on popular culture and scientific thought of the time.
Another notable individual with the name Zurich was Zurich Stadler, a Swiss architect and urban planner born in Zurich in 1906. He was known for his innovative designs and his contributions to the development of modern architecture in Switzerland during the 20th century.
People
Zurich + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zurich 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
Zurich: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zurich?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 133 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zurich 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 2,577,100 US residents.
Is Zurich a common name?
We classify Zurich as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 134 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zurich most popular?
The single biggest year for Zurich was 2017, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zurich is about 10 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 Zurich in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zurich a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zurich 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 Zurich still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zurich 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 Zurich 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 called Zurich?
You can see how many Americans are named Zurich on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.