Zhi
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- JUR
- Origin
- Chinese
Zhi is a boys' name of Chinese origin, meaning “wisdom or ambition, depending on characters”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Zhi mean?
Chinese: Chinese given name element
“wisdom or ambition, depending on characters”
A common element in Chinese names, often written 志 'will, ambition' or 智 'wisdom'.
Is Zhi a girl's or a boy's name?
Zhi is a boys' name.
How popular is Zhi in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2007, with 25 boys.
Half of all the boys named Zhi in the UK since 1996 were born between 2007 and 2012, the years shaded on the chart below.
Girls were 18% of the babies named Zhi in the UK in 2005, and 50% in 2015.
Zhi in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | #5,193 |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 3 | #4,913 |
| 2018 | 3 | #4,959 |
| 2017 | 8 | #2,656 |
| 2016 | 4 | #4,214 |
| 2015 | 9 | #2,425 |
| 2014 | 14 | #1,743 |
| 2013 | 12 | #1,901 |
| 2012 | 12 | #1,956 |
| 2011 | 23 | #1,203 |
| 2010 | 22 | #1,245 |
| 2009 | 23 | #1,180 |
| 2008 | 25 | #1,102 |
| 2007 | 25 | #1,065 |
| 2006 | 13 | #1,558 |
| 2005 | 18 | #1,216 |
| 2004 | 5 | #2,691 |
| 2003 | 5 | #2,574 |
| 2002 | 3 | #3,325 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 3 | #3,146 |
| 1999 | 3 | #3,043 |
How popular is Zhi in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2001, with 19 boys. It first appears in the records in 1988.
Half of all the boys named Zhi in the US since 1880 were born between 2001 and 2014, the years shaded on the chart below.
Zhi in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | #10,930 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 5 | #12,138 |
| 2018 | 7 | #9,664 |
| 2017 | 8 | #8,835 |
| 2016 | 5 | #12,180 |
| 2015 | 6 | #10,638 |
| 2014 | 10 | #7,557 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 5 | #12,280 |
| 2010 | 6 | #10,759 |
| 2009 | 6 | #10,989 |
| 2008 | 8 | #9,013 |
| 2007 | 8 | #8,909 |
| 2006 | 10 | #7,422 |
| 2005 | 7 | #9,108 |
| 2004 | 9 | #7,530 |
| 2003 | 9 | #7,238 |
| 2002 | 10 | #6,515 |
| 2001 | 19 | #4,115 |
| 2000 | 7 | #8,202 |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 7 | #7,553 |
| 1997 | 8 | #6,612 |
| 1996 | 5 | #9,008 |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 5 | #7,264 |
Names like Zhi
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Loki, Tai, Yug, Rumi, Minh, Shko, Ruairi, Kairo, Benji, Sami, Yitzchok, Yoan
Names related to Zhi
More Chinese names
Lian, Jia, Mei, Tian, Jun, Mulan, Yi, Tao, San, Jian, Han, Mian, Bao, Xia, Lin, Yichen
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Zhi: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/zhi, updated 20 October 2026.