boy's name
Zane
ZAYN
- Origin American
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 63,145
the United States
#324
2025 births
Zane peaked in 2018, later than almost any name in this group, and it entered American use as a surname — Zane Grey's westerns carried a family name that traces back to the founder of Zanesville, Ohio.
- Zane is a name of American origin.
- Peaked in 2018, when 2,041 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,154 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1914.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Zane over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 81 |
| 1920s | 789 |
| 1930s | 742 |
| 1940s | 657 |
| 1950s | 1,165 |
| 1960s | 1,245 |
| 1970s | 1,436 |
| 1980s | 2,927 |
| 1990s | 8,266 |
| 2000s | 14,950 |
| 2010s | 17,344 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,626 |
What Zane means
Zane means God is gracious if taken through the Italian form of John, which is the likeliest route. The surname's own origin is not fully settled, so the reading is probable rather than certain.
Where Zane comes from
Zane is a surname turned given name. It is generally traced to the Italian Zani or Zanni, a form of Giovanni and so of John — the Hebrew Yochanan, God is gracious. The Zanni of commedia dell'arte, the servant characters, carry the same word, and zany descends from them. Ebenezer Zane founded Zanesville in Ohio; his descendant Pearl Zane Grey dropped the Pearl, wrote the westerns that defined the genre, and put the name into American use.
Zane in use
Zane peaked in the United States in 2018, when 2,041 babies were registered — one of the most recent peaks in this group — and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 324th in the United States on 1,051 births, 357th in England and Wales on 124, 392nd in Scotland on 9, 760th in Ireland on 4 and 6015th in France on 5, across 63,145 lifetime births in six of the seven markets we track.
How popular is Zane?
In 2025, Zane was given to 1,051 babies in the United States, ranking #324 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Zane 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.
Names that peaked alongside Zane
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Zane also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Zane over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Zane in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Zane
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Zane — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Zane
What does the name Zane mean?
God is gracious, most likely — through the Italian Zani, a form of Giovanni and so of John.
Is zany related?
Yes — from the Zanni servant characters of commedia dell'arte, the same word.
Who was Zane Grey?
The western novelist, born Pearl Zane Grey, descended from the founder of Zanesville, Ohio.
When did Zane peak?
2018 in the United States, one of the most recent peaks in this group.
How popular is the name Zane?
In 2025, Zane was given to 1,051 babies in the United States, ranking #324 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Zane a girl's or a boy's name?
Zane is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Zane?
Zane has 1 syllable.
Is Zane a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Zane currently ranks #287 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.