Zev
Zev was the 866th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 277 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 301 places. More babies were named Zev in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning wolf · Hebrew
Say it ZEV /zɛv/
- Rank in 2025
- #866 boys, up 35 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 277boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025277 babies
- Total since 1880
- 5,153babies recorded
What does the name Zev mean?
Zev is a Hebrew name meaning "wolf", from ze'ev, the Hebrew word for wolf, as Wiktionary and Wikipedia agree. Wikipedia notes that Ashkenazi Jews often pair it with Benjamin, because Genesis compares the tribe of Benjamin to a wolf, and with its Yiddish equivalent Wolf. In the Bible, Zeeb (the same word) is a Midianite leader defeated in Gideon's time (Judges 7:25).
זְאֵב (Hebrew, “wolf”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Ze'ev, Zeev, Wolf.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Zev', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'זאב', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Ze'ev', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Hebrew Bible, Judges 7:25, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria
Zev popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #866 | 277 |
| 2020 | #901 | 250 |
| 2010 | #1,298 | 133 |
| 2000 | #2,014 | 51 |
| 1990 | #1,908 | 41 |
| 1980 | #2,057 | 27 |
| 1970 | #2,057 | 20 |
| 1960 | #2,120 | 16 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Zev, counting every spelling?
Zev is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #827 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #866 for Zev on its own. Together these spellings went to 283 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zev | 277 | #866 | 1,273 |
| Zeev | 6 | #11,986 | 25 |
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 Zev?
277 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Zev (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Zev 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 30 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Zev.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Zev?
About 5,000 people born in the US named Zev are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 5 and 23. That makes Zev 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.
Zev by state
How common Zev was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (7.8×), New Jersey (7.5×). In 37 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 Zev: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Zev, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Zev · Sibling names for Zev
Questions about the name Zev
What does Zev mean?
Zev means “wolf” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Zev?
Zev was the 866th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 277 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 301 places. More babies were named Zev in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Zev a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Zev in the US.
Where is Zev most popular?
In 2021–2025, Zev was most common in New York (1.14 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Jersey and Maryland.