Zair
Zair was the 2603rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 51 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 2,105 places. More babies were named Zair in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Zaire) river (Kongo nzere) · Kongo, Portuguese
- Rank in 2025
- #2,603 boys, up 891 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 51boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 202551 babies
- Total since 1880
- 652babies recorded
What does the name Zair mean?
Zair is a spelling of Zaire, pronounced the same way, so it shares Zaire's meaning and origin.
Zaire comes through Portuguese from Kongo nzere or nzadi, "river"; Wiktionary gives the phrase nzadi o nzere, "the river that swallows all rivers", for the Congo River. Zaire was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 1997, and Dictionary.com notes it was also its currency. As a boy's name in the US it is modern.
nzere / nzadi (Kongo, “river”)
How sure is this? Probable. The Kongo source is standard; the exact phrase is given by Wiktionary.
See also: African names, names that mean water, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Zaire', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Zaire', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Zair popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,603 | 51 |
| 2020 | #3,494 | 32 |
| 2010 | #3,629 | 30 |
| 2000 | #10,329 | 6 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Zair, counting every spelling?
Zair is a spelling of Zaire, a name family that ranked #458 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,603 for Zair on its own. Together these spellings went to 677 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zaire | 601 | #503 | 3,083 |
| Zair | 51 | #2,603 | 189 |
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 Zair?
51 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Zair (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Zair 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 165 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Zair.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Zair?
About 600 people born in the US named Zair are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 5 and 17. That makes Zair 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.
Zair by state
How common Zair was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 47 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 Zair: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Zair, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Zair
What does Zair mean?
Zair is a spelling of Zaire, which means “river (Kongo nzere)” (Kongo, Portuguese origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Zair?
Zair was the 2603rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 51 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 2,105 places. More babies were named Zair in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Zair a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Zair in the US.
Where is Zair most popular?
In 2021–2025, Zair was most common in North Carolina (0.03 per 1,000 boys), followed by Florida and Texas.