How Many People Are Named Zaya?
An estimated 2,399 people in the United States have the first name Zaya. It is predominantly female (97.6%). The average bearer is 9 years old, and Zaya peaked in popularity in 2023 with 207 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Zaya 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 Zaya paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Zaya is overwhelmingly female, 58 male births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- Zaya is a modern name. With an average bearer age of just 9, it has gained most of its popularity in recent years.
Estimated Living Americans
2,399
About 1 in 142,874 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
97.6% confidence
Average Age
9
years old
Peak Year
2023
207 births
Total Registered
2,417
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Zaya
Zaya is predominantly female (97.6%), though 58 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Zaya as a male name
Ranked #14,302 in 2022
5 male births in 2022
Peak: 2018 (9 births)
Zaya as a female name
Ranked #1,420 in 2024
157 female births in 2024
Peak: 2023 (207 births)
Zaya in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,557 people with the first name Zaya, which placed it at #9,092 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, Zaya was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 1,557 people with this name in that snapshot, 15.0% were male and 85.0% were female. That is less heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 97.6% female.
Census Count
1,557
people with this name
Census Rank
#9,092
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.52
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Zaya was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (34.68%). The next largest recorded groups were White (29.74%) and Hispanic (17.34%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Zaya 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 Zaya.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 34.68% | 540 |
| White | 29.74% | 463 |
| Hispanic | 17.34% | 270 |
| Two or More Races | 11.11% | 173 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 6.42% | 100 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.71% | 11 |
Zaya: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Zaya span from the 1990s to the 2020s, covering 4 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 1,270 babies were registered. While Zaya is less common than at its peak in the 2010s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Zaya by Decade
How has Zaya 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.
Zaya by State
Birth registrations for Zaya span all 33 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, Florida. The lowest are in Wisconsin, South Carolina, Oklahoma. On average, about 40 Zayas were registered per state.
Zaya + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Zaya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Zaya
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
Zaya: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zaya?
We estimate approximately 2,399 people named Zaya 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 142,874 Americans share this first name.
Is Zaya a common name?
Zaya is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 94.4% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 2,417 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Zaya most popular?
Zaya reached peak popularity in 2023, when 207 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Zaya is approximately 9 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Zaya in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 1,557 people with the first name Zaya. That placed it at #9,092 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.52 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 Zaya 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 Zaya?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Zaya was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 15.0% male and 85.0% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Zaya?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Zaya was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (34.68%). The next largest recorded groups were White (29.74%) and Hispanic (17.34%). 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 Zaya a female name?
Zaya is predominantly female. 97.6% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Zaya 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. Zaya peaked in 2023, and the average living bearer is about 9 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Zaya Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Zaya Smith, Zaya Johnson, Zaya 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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