Zen
Mostly boys · ZEN · Sanskrit
Zen is a name of Sanskrit origin, meaning “meditation”. In 2025 it ranked 1,220th for boys in the UK (25 babies) and 1,141st for boys in the US (185 babies).
What does Zen mean?
Sanskrit: via Chinese chan and Japanese zen
“meditation”
Zen is the Japanese name of a school of Buddhism that emphasises meditation, from Sanskrit dhyana via Chinese chan.
- Say it
- ZEN
Is Zen a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Zen has been given to girls and boys, mostly boys. In 2025, it was given to 4 girls and 25 boys in the UK and 43 girls and 185 boys in the US.
How popular is Zen in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,220among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 25about 1 in 12,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 52% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 25 boys in the UK were named Zen, making it the 1,220th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,923rd. Its busiest year was 2024, with 26 boys. 4 girls were also named Zen in 2025 (4,935th for girls).
Half of all the boys named Zen in the UK since 1996 were born between 2007 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 14% of the babies named Zen in the UK were girls.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,153rd in England and Wales.
Zen in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | #1,220 |
| 2024 | 26 | #1,177 |
| 2023 | 16 | #1,643 |
| 2022 | 22 | #1,312 |
| 2021 | 25 | #1,200 |
| 2020 | 12 | #1,923 |
| 2019 | 17 | #1,543 |
| 2018 | 15 | #1,715 |
| 2017 | 17 | #1,563 |
| 2016 | 20 | #1,403 |
| 2015 | 13 | #1,888 |
| 2014 | 8 | #2,593 |
| 2013 | 5 | #3,466 |
| 2012 | 6 | #3,167 |
| 2011 | 9 | #2,311 |
| 2010 | 9 | #2,306 |
| 2009 | 9 | #2,241 |
| 2008 | 6 | #2,906 |
| 2007 | 16 | #1,458 |
| 2006 | 7 | #2,386 |
| 2005 | 8 | #2,090 |
| 2004 | 9 | #1,831 |
| 2003 | 9 | #1,723 |
| 2002 | 3 | #3,325 |
| 2001 | 11 | #1,369 |
| 2000 | 13 | #1,165 |
| 1999 | 4 | #2,513 |
| 1998 | 5 | #2,170 |
| 1997 | 3 | #2,979 |
| 1996 | 5 | #2,094 |
How popular is Zen in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,141among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 185about 1 in 9,200 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 66% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 185 boys in the US were named Zen, making it the 1,141st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,196th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 256 boys. It first appears in the records in 1969. 43 girls were also named Zen in 2025 (3,516th for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years.
Half of all the boys named Zen in the US since 1880 were born between 2010 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 204 boys in the US were given Zen or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #979, up from #1,141 for this spelling alone.
- Zen 185
- Xen 14
- Zenn 5
In 2025, 19% of the babies named Zen in the US were girls.
Zen in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 185 | #1,141 |
| 2024 | 238 | #955 |
| 2023 | 242 | #935 |
| 2022 | 256 | #905 |
| 2021 | 166 | #1,182 |
| 2020 | 160 | #1,196 |
| 2019 | 128 | #1,386 |
| 2018 | 112 | #1,521 |
| 2017 | 92 | #1,707 |
| 2016 | 74 | #1,959 |
| 2015 | 75 | #1,931 |
| 2014 | 88 | #1,714 |
| 2013 | 63 | #2,112 |
| 2012 | 56 | #2,291 |
| 2011 | 63 | #2,104 |
| 2010 | 60 | #2,186 |
| 2009 | 70 | #1,989 |
| 2008 | 74 | #1,932 |
| 2007 | 52 | #2,442 |
| 2006 | 51 | #2,397 |
| 2005 | 50 | #2,321 |
| 2004 | 51 | #2,234 |
| 2003 | 38 | #2,616 |
| 2002 | 36 | #2,628 |
| 2001 | 38 | #2,515 |
| 2000 | 32 | #2,800 |
| 1999 | 31 | #2,718 |
| 1998 | 32 | #2,596 |
| 1997 | 12 | #4,954 |
| 1996 | 17 | #3,824 |
| 1995 | 15 | #4,046 |
| 1994 | 10 | #5,446 |
| 1993 | 12 | #4,690 |
| 1992 | 7 | #6,662 |
| 1991 | 6 | #7,263 |
| 1990 | 10 | #4,986 |
| 1989 | 5 | #7,898 |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 6 | #5,523 |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 5 | #4,403 |
Names like Zen
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Zayd Zayn Zayan Musa Muhammad Zayaan Zakariya Hamza Yusuf Ibrahim Rayyan Abdullah
Other spellings of Zen
Names related to Zen
More Sanskrit names
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