How Many People Are Named Zaire?
An estimated 10,168 people in the United States have the first name Zaire. It is used for both genders, with 86.1% male. The average bearer is 14 years old, and Zaire peaked in popularity in 2023 with 674 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Zaire as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Zaire paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Zaire is a modern name. With an average bearer age of just 14, it has gained most of its popularity in recent years.
Estimated Living Americans
10,168
About 1 in 33,709 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Uncommon
Predicted Gender
Male
86.1% confidence
Average Age
14
years old
Peak Year
2023
674 births
Total Registered
10,284
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Zaire
Zaire is predominantly male (86.1%), though 1,425 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Zaire as a male name
Ranked #472 in 2024
651 male births in 2024
Peak: 2023 (655 births)
Zaire as a female name
Ranked #8,391 in 2024
13 female births in 2024
Peak: 2000 (83 births)
Zaire in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 5,857 people with the first name Zaire, which placed it at #3,527 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Zaire was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 5,857 people with this name in that snapshot, 80.0% were male and 20.0% were female. That is less heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 86.1% male.
Census Count
5,857
people with this name
Census Rank
#3,527
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
1.94
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Zaire was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (83.01%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (8.81%) and Two or More Races (5.48%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Zaire in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Zaire.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 83.01% | 4,862 |
| Hispanic | 8.81% | 516 |
| Two or More Races | 5.48% | 321 |
| White | 1.84% | 108 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.56% | 33 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.29% | 17 |
Zaire: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Zaire span from the 1970s to the 2020s, covering 6 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 3,200 babies were registered. Zaire remains highly popular today, with recent registration numbers near its historical peak.
Zaire by Decade
How has Zaire tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Zaire by State
Birth registrations for Zaire span all 35 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, California, Pennsylvania. The lowest are in Iowa, Oregon, Oklahoma. On average, about 232 Zaires were registered per state.
Zaire + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Zaire as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Zaire
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
Zaire: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zaire?
We estimate approximately 10,168 people named Zaire are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 33,709 Americans share this first name.
Is Zaire a common name?
Zaire is classified as "Uncommon" and is more popular than 97.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 10,284 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Zaire most popular?
Zaire reached peak popularity in 2023, when 674 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Zaire is approximately 14 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Zaire in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 5,857 people with the first name Zaire. That placed it at #3,527 in the published Census first-name tables, or 1.94 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Zaire was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Zaire?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Zaire was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 80.0% male and 20.0% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Zaire?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Zaire was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (83.01%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (8.81%) and Two or More Races (5.48%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Zaire a male name?
Zaire is predominantly male. 86.1% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Zaire have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Zaire peaked in 2023, and the average living bearer is about 14 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Zaire Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Zaire Smith, Zaire Johnson, Zaire Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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