Rising since 1985, #807 for girls today.
Popularity of Zainab since 1957
Babies named Zainab per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 12 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 47 |
| 1980s | 265 |
| 1990s | 777 |
| 2000s | 1,699 |
| 2010s | 2,720 |
| 2020s | 1,806 |
Meaning & origin
Zainab first appeared in U.S. records in 1957 and has since followed a steady upward trajectory, especially notable since around 1985. Its rank of 807 in 2025 and a 1-in-4,755 frequency reflect growing but still modest usage. The name reached its peak popularity in 2025, suggesting it is currently at its highest point yet. Zainab is most common in states with large Muslim populations, including Michigan, Illinois, and New York. Its deep roots in Arabic culture and Islamic veneration give it enduring appeal across generations.
Zainab is derived from the Arabic زينب (Zaynab), referring to a fragrant flowering tree or shrub, possibly the jasmine or cassia. The name holds deep significance in Islamic history as the name of several prominent women, including the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and a granddaughter. It has been widely used across the Muslim world, from the Middle East to South Asia and beyond.
Where Zainab is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Zainab” around the world
Where Zainab lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
55
babies in 2024
Ireland
15
babies in 2025
New Zealand
13
babies in 2025
Quebec
10
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland) · NZ Dept of Internal Affairs (New Zealand) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Zain, Zay, Zizi
Sibling names for Zainab
Names that share Zainab's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Aisha, Fatima, Maryam, Khadeeja, Layla, Khadija, Khadijah, Rashida, Asiya, Fatimah, Hafsa, Iqra, Jannat, Syeda, Takiyah, Tasneem, Aissata, Asmaa, Batool, Batoul, Fatema, Hafsah, Hajar, Maimouna, Muntaha, Ruqayyah, Seerat, Sumaiya, Sumayya, Sumayyah, Sundus, Yumna, Aamna, Aasiya, Aayat, Amatullah, Fathima, Fatimata, Fatmata, Fatuma, Hadja, Haja, Hajra, Hasina, Hawa, Humaira, Ikran, Ilham, Khadeejah, Mahreen, Minahil, Rukiya, Rumaisa, Ruqayya, Saliha, Shazia, Sidrah, Simrah, Khadeja, Nusayba, Ramata, Faatimah, Fardowsa, Faryal, Fatemah, Fatimazahra, Hadicha, Hajira, Halah, Haleemah, Javeria, Kawsar, Maymuna, Misbah, Nusaibah, Razia, Rimsha, Ruqaya, Saleha, Sharifah, Sumaiyah, Tesneem, Umaima, Wajiha
Brothers: Ali, Hussein, Hassan, Omar, Ibrahim, Abdul, Abdullah, Adnan, Arham, Ayub, Hasan, Jaleel, Jamil, Mahmoud, Mohamed, Mohammad, Mohammed, Muhammad, Mustafa, Quran, Raheem, Rashad, Sulaiman, Umar, Yousef, Yusuf, Abdulaziz, Abdulrahman, Ammar, Hamzah, Hashim, Hussain, Ibraheem, Jawad, Jihad, Mohamad, Muhammed, Rahman, Rasheed, Saleh, Usman, Waleed, Yasin, Yousuf, Abdel, Abdulahi, Abdulla, Abdulmalik, Abdurahman, Abid, Abu, Abubakar, Abubakr, Affan, Ahmaad, Akbar, Arif, Ashraf, Asif, Baraka, Belal, Cheikh, Ebrahim, Faiz, Haider, Husain, Huzaifa, Islam, Jibreel, Kasim, Kassim, Mahad, Md, Mohsin, Mouhamed, Moussa, Muhammadali, Murtaza, Musab, Owais, Rashed, Rizwan, Sadiq, Sajid, Salih, Shahid, Suhayb, Sulayman, Talal, Umair, Uzair, Waseem, Yahia, Yusif, Zohaib, Abdinasir, Abdulkareem, Abdulkarim, Abdulwahab, Abdur, Abdurrahman, Alhaji, Allah, Basim, Braheem, Burhanuddin, Cheick, Daud, Dawood, Hasnain, Husayn, Ibrohim, Ismaeel, Jahid, Khadim, Khalifa, Mohamud, Mohid, Moiz, Muadh, Mubashir, Muhamad, Mujahid, Muneeb, Nazeer, Nuh, Saim, Shakeel, Shoaib, Shuaib, Sohaib, Sudais, Tahmid, Umer, Yacoub, Yousaf, Youssouf, Yussef, Zubayr, Abdulahad, Mouhamad, Zakariyah, Abass, Abdelaziz, Abdimalik, Abdirahim, Abdulai, Abdulkadir, Abdulraheem, Abdulsalam, Albaraa, Alieu, Amadu, Aqeel, Arsal, Arshad, Awais, Ayuub, Bilaal, Billal, Brahim, Daouda, Farooq, Furqan, Haaris, Habeeb, Hafiz, Humzah, Ishaaq, Khaalid, Khair, Moataz, Mohmmad, Momin, Muaaz, Muhammadyusuf, Mukhtar, Mutasim, Muzamil, Najir, Raahim, Ramadan, Rehman, Rohail, Saifullah, Sajad, Sajjad, Sayeed, Sayyid, Seydina, Shariq, Shuayb, Siddiq, Sidi, Sufiyan, Sufyaan, Taher, Uthman, Younus, Yousof, Zaeem, Zakariye
