Declining since 2022, #9,457 for girls today.
Popularity of Zuzu since 1999
Babies named Zuzu per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2015, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Zuzu's real moment was 2023.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 68 |
| 2010s | 144 |
| 2020s | 94 |
Meaning & origin
Zuzu is a rare and playful name that first appeared on U.S. birth records in 1999. It has seen modest interest in recent years, reaching its peak rank of 9,457th in 2023 before slightly declining in 2024 and 2025. The name is almost exclusively given to girls, with about 1 in every 160,727 female births bearing the name in 2025. While its etymology is uncertain, Zuzu is often associated with the Hungarian diminutive of Zsuzsanna or stands as a modern coinage. Despite its rarity and lack of top-state clustering, Zuzu appeals to parents seeking a short, cheerful name with a rhythmic sound.
Zuzu is often considered a pet form of Susanna (via Hungarian Zsuzsanna) or a standalone modern coinage. Its recent adoption in the United States appears to be a fashionable, playful name, possibly influenced by the character Zuzu from the 1946 film 'It's a Wonderful Life' (though that connection is uncertain for the name's modern rise). The name remains rare but has seen slight increases in usage since the 1990s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Zu
Sibling names for Zuzu
Names that share Zuzu's style, for a brother or sister.
