unisex name
Zaire
- Origin African American English
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 11,234
the United States
#503
2025 births
Zaire is a unisex name with 2 syllables. It is given to both girls and boys — about 13% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 608 babies in the United States, ranking #503. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
- Zaire is a name of African American English origin.
- Peaked in 2023, when 674 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,453 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1974.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Zaire over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 80 |
| 1980s | 73 |
| 1990s | 1,149 |
| 2000s | 2,690 |
| 2010s | 3,201 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,704 |
How popular is Zaire?
In 2025, Zaire was given to 608 babies in the United States, ranking #503 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Zaire is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Zaire is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Zaïre | Zaïre is a rare spelling of Zaire, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 40 times, mostly in France. | 40 |
Names that peaked alongside Zaire
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Zaire also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Zaire over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Zaire
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Zaire — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Zaire
How popular is the name Zaire?
In 2025, Zaire was given to 608 babies in the United States, ranking #503 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Zaire a girl's or a boy's name?
Zaire is used for both girls and boys. About 13% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Zaire?
Zaire has 2 syllables.
When was Zaire most popular?
Zaire peaked in 2023, when 674 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Zaire a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Zaire currently ranks #503 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.