How Many People Are Named Zephaniah?
An estimated 3,667 people in the United States have the first name Zephaniah. It is used for both genders, with 87.7% male. The average bearer is 15 years old, and Zephaniah peaked in popularity in 2019 with 193 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Zephaniah 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 Zephaniah paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Zephaniah is a modern name. With an average bearer age of just 15, it has gained most of its popularity in recent years.
Estimated Living Americans
3,667
About 1 in 93,470 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
87.7% confidence
Average Age
15
years old
Peak Year
2019
193 births
Total Registered
3,710
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Zephaniah
Zephaniah is predominantly male (87.7%), though 456 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Zephaniah as a male name
Ranked #1,339 in 2024
143 male births in 2024
Peak: 2019 (170 births)
Zephaniah as a female name
Ranked #7,933 in 2024
14 female births in 2024
Peak: 2016 (28 births)
Zephaniah in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,359 people with the first name Zephaniah, which placed it at #6,719 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, Zephaniah was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 2,359 people with this name in that snapshot, 88.3% were male and 11.7% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 87.7% of the time.
Census Count
2,359
people with this name
Census Rank
#6,719
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.78
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Zephaniah was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (42.63%). The next largest recorded groups were White (26.10%) and Hispanic (14.70%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Zephaniah 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 Zephaniah.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 42.63% | 1,006 |
| White | 26.10% | 616 |
| Hispanic | 14.70% | 347 |
| Two or More Races | 9.24% | 218 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 5.72% | 135 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.61% | 38 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Zephaniah: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Zephaniah span from the 1970s to the 2020s, covering 6 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 1,529 babies were registered. While Zephaniah is less common than at its peak in the 2010s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Zephaniah by Decade
How has Zephaniah 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.
Zephaniah by State
Birth registrations for Zephaniah span all 26 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, Florida. The lowest are in South Carolina, Oregon, Oklahoma. On average, about 57 Zephaniahs were registered per state.
Zephaniah + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Zephaniah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Zephaniah
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
Zephaniah: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zephaniah?
We estimate approximately 3,667 people named Zephaniah 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 93,470 Americans share this first name.
Is Zephaniah a common name?
Zephaniah is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 95.8% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 3,710 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Zephaniah most popular?
Zephaniah reached peak popularity in 2019, when 193 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Zephaniah is approximately 15 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Zephaniah in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 2,359 people with the first name Zephaniah. That placed it at #6,719 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.78 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 Zephaniah 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 Zephaniah?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Zephaniah was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 88.3% male and 11.7% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Zephaniah?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Zephaniah was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (42.63%). The next largest recorded groups were White (26.10%) and Hispanic (14.70%). 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 Zephaniah a male name?
Zephaniah is predominantly male. 87.7% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Zephaniah 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. Zephaniah peaked in 2019, and the average living bearer is about 15 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Zephaniah Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Zephaniah Smith, Zephaniah Johnson, Zephaniah 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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