Zain
Zain was the 567th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 522 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 539th; the most babies were born in 2022 (536). Over the last ten years it has moved up 151 places. More babies were named Zain in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Zayn) beauty, grace · Arabic
- Rank in 2025
- #567 boys, up 7 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 522boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2022536 babies
- Total since 1880
- 10,243babies recorded
What does the name Zain mean?
Zain is a spelling of Zayn, pronounced the same way, so it shares Zayn's meaning and origin.
Zayn is the Arabic zayn, 'beauty, grace', according to Wiktionary, and Wikipedia gives the same meaning for the more common spelling Zain. It is also part of longer Arabic names such as Zayn al-Din, 'grace of the faith', and Zayn al-Abidin. The British singer Zayn Malik made the spelling widely known. Zane is sometimes used as an English spelling of the same name.
زَيْن (Arabic, “zayn, beauty, grace”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Zain, Zane, Zayne, Zaina.
See also: Arabic names, names that mean grace, names that mean beautiful.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Zayn', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Zayn', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Zain popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 325 since 1990, 8 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #567 | 522 |
| 2020 | #574 | 485 |
| 2010 | #787 | 279 |
| 2000 | #1,065 | 135 |
| 1990 | #1,684 | 49 |
| 1980 | #5,520 | 7 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Zain, counting every spelling?
Zain is a spelling of Zayn, a name family that ranked #145 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #567 for Zain on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,633 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zayn | 1,381 | #253 | 6,712 |
| Zayne | 644 | #473 | 3,719 |
| Zain | 522 | #567 | 2,599 |
| Zaine | 51 | #2,602 | 349 |
| Zein | 29 | #3,846 | 133 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Zain?
522 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Zain (0.14 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Zain born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 16 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Zain.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Zain?
About 9,800 people born in the US named Zain are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 5 and 18. That makes Zain a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Zain by state
How common Zain was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (2.4×), New York (2.3×), Michigan (2.1×), Virginia (2.0×), Illinois (2.0×). In 19 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Zain: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Zain, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Zain
What does Zain mean?
Zain is a spelling of Zayn, which means “beauty, grace” (Arabic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Zain?
Zain was the 567th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 522 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 539th; the most babies were born in 2022 (536). Over the last ten years it has moved up 151 places. More babies were named Zain in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Zain a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Zain in the US.
Where is Zain most popular?
In 2021–2025, Zain was most common in Minnesota (0.72 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and Michigan.