NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Zac

A diminutive of the Hebrew masculine name Zachary, meaning "the Lord remembers".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Zac is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Zac popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #442, with 91 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 564 births.

This profile covers 7,272 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 16% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 8,720 living people in the UK are called Zac. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Zac ranked #442 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 91 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2010, when 564 boys were registered as Zac.
  • Zac ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #176 in 2024.
  • About 8,720 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zac as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#442

2024

Births in 2024

91

Latest year

Peak year

2010

564 births

Estimated living

8,720

2026

Meaning

What does Zac mean?

Zac is a diminutive form of the Hebrew name Zachary, which means "the Lord remembers" or "God has remembered." The name traces its origins back to ancient Israel, with roots in the Old Testament. It is derived from the Hebrew word "zachar," meaning "to remember."

The earliest recorded use of the name Zachary can be found in the Bible, particularly in the Book of Ezra and the Book of Nehemiah. In these texts, Zachary is mentioned as a priest who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.

One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Zac is Zacchaeus, a tax collector mentioned in the New Testament Gospel of Luke. According to the biblical account, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus as he passed through Jericho.

In the 4th century, Saint Zachary was a Pope who reigned from 679 to 689 AD. He is remembered for his efforts in promoting church reform and defending the faith against heresies.

During the Middle Ages, Zac remained a popular name among Christians, particularly in Europe. One notable bearer of the name was Zachary Wheeler (1634-1696), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theological topics.

In the 17th century, Zachary Boyd (1585-1653) was a Scottish minister and scholar who served as the rector of the University of Glasgow and authored several works on religious subjects.

As the name spread to other cultures and languages, it took on various spellings and forms, including Zac, Zach, and Zack. In the 19th century, Zachary Taylor (1784-1850) was a prominent American military leader who served as the 12th President of the United States from 1849 to 1850.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Zac over time

The chart below shows babies named Zac registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Zac, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 91 births in 2024, compared with 564 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Zac
0141282423564199620102024

Decades

Zac by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zac was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #319 748 5
2010s #166 3,719 10
2000s #196 2,337 10
1990s #254 468 4

Geography

Where Zac is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Zac. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Zac ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #176 in 2024.

Scotland
25
Northern Ireland
9

Across the UK

Zac in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#176 in 2024

32 years of NRS records, 1,123 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#216 in 2024

27 years of NISRA records, 385 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Zac

  • Zac Shaw

    para athletics competitor

    British para athletics competitor

    1995-

  • Zac Thompson

    association football player

    British footballer (born 1993)

    1993-

  • Zac Evans

    association football player

    Welsh footballer (born 1991)

    1991-

  • Zac Aley

    association football player

    British footballer (born 1991)

    1991-

  • Zac Morris

    cricketer

    British cricketer (born 1978)

    1978-

  • Zac Kao

    actor; singer; radio personality

    singer and actor from Hong Kong

    1977-

  • Zac Goldsmith

    politician; writer; editor; journalist; ecologist

    British politician and journalist (born 1975)

    1975-

  • Zac Urness

    electronic literature writer

    electronic literature author

Related

Names similar to Zac

FAQ

Zac: questions and answers

How popular is the name Zac in the UK right now?

In 2024, Zac was ranked #442 for boys in England and Wales, with 91 births registered.

When was Zac most popular?

The peak year on record was 2010, with 564 babies registered as Zac in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Zac?

A diminutive of the Hebrew masculine name Zachary, meaning "the Lord remembers".

How many people are called Zac in the UK?

A total of 7,272 babies have been registered as Zac across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 1,123 more in Scotland and 385 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Zac most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Zac ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #176 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.