Zoe
Zoe was the 31st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 5,646 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 29th; the most babies were born in 2012 (6,466). Over the last ten years it has moved up 2 places. More babies were named Zoe in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning life · Ancient Greek
Say it ZOH-ee /ˈzoʊi/
- Rank in 2025
- #31 girls, up 9 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 5,646girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20126,466 babies
- Total since 1880
- 163,853babies recorded
What does the name Zoe mean?
Zoe is the Greek word for life. Wikipedia notes that Greek-speaking Jews used it as a rendering of Eve, whose Hebrew name was linked with life, and that early Christian martyrs bore it. Zoey is a common American spelling.
ζωή (Ancient Greek, “life”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Greek names.
Zoe popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 597 since 1970, 13 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #31 | 5,646 |
| 2020 | #40 | 4,799 |
| 2010 | #31 | 6,274 |
| 2000 | #82 | 3,785 |
| 1990 | #503 | 478 |
| 1980 | #1,267 | 103 |
| 1970 | #965 | 132 |
| 1960 | #992 | 118 |
| 1950 | #1,134 | 67 |
| 1940 | #978 | 54 |
| 1930 | #1,013 | 54 |
| 1920 | #816 | 80 |
| 1910 | #736 | 34 |
| 1900 | #724 | 26 |
| 1890 | #396 | 42 |
| 1880 | #341 | 23 |
How popular is Zoe, counting every spelling?
Zoe is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #11 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #31 for Zoe on its own. Together these spellings went to 9,089 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoe | 5,646 | #31 | 26,330 |
| Zoey | 3,427 | #69 | 20,834 |
| Zooey | 7 | #13,199 | 77 |
| Zoeh | 9 | #10,912 | 26 |
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 Zoe?
5,646 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Zoe (1.57 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Zoe born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 34. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Zoe.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Zoe?
About 158,600 people born in the US named Zoe are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 8 and 23. That makes Zoe mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Zoe by state
How common Zoe was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (4.2×), Vermont (2.6×), Rhode Island (2.5×), Maryland (2.2×), Massachusetts (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, North Dakota, West Virginia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Zoe: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Zoe, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Zoe · Sibling names for Zoe
Questions about the name Zoe
What does Zoe mean?
Zoe means “life” (Ancient Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Zoe?
Zoe was the 31st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 5,646 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 29th; the most babies were born in 2012 (6,466). Over the last ten years it has moved up 2 places. More babies were named Zoe in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Zoe a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Zoe in the US.
Where is Zoe most popular?
In 2021–2025, Zoe was most common in District of Columbia (13.67 per 1,000 girls), followed by Vermont and Rhode Island.