NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Zachariah

A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Lord has remembered".

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.

Zachariah is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Zachariah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #371, with 116 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 148 births.

This profile covers 3,234 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 78% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 3,323 living people in the UK are called Zachariah. 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

  • Zachariah ranked #371 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 116 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2023, when 148 boys were registered as Zachariah.
  • Zachariah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #352 in 2022.
  • About 3,323 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zachariah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#371

2024

Births in 2024

116

Latest year

Peak year

2023

148 births

Estimated living

3,323

2026

Meaning

What does Zachariah mean?

The name Zachariah has its origins in the Hebrew language and is derived from the biblical name Zechariah, which means "God has remembered" or "the Lord remembers." This name can be traced back to the Old Testament of the Bible, where it was borne by several figures, including the prophet Zechariah and the father of John the Baptist.

In the Bible, the Book of Zechariah is one of the twelve minor prophets, written in the late 6th century BC. The prophet Zechariah is known for his visions and prophecies concerning the restoration of Jerusalem and the coming of the Messiah. The name Zechariah/Zachariah was likely popular among the Israelites during this time period and in the subsequent centuries.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Zachariah can be found in the New Testament of the Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of the father of John the Baptist. According to the Gospel of Luke, Zachariah was a priest who was struck mute for doubting the angel Gabriel's prophecy that his wife, Elizabeth, would bear a son in their old age.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Zachariah or its variations. One of the most famous was Zacharias Ursinus (1534-1583), a German Protestant theologian and one of the principal authors of the Heidelberg Catechism, a influential Reformed confession of faith.

Another notable Zachariah was Zacharias Janssen (1585-1638), a Dutch spectacle-maker who is credited with the invention of the first compound microscope. His discovery paved the way for countless advancements in the field of microscopy and scientific observation.

In the world of literature, Zachary Macaulay (1768-1838) was a British historian, essayist, and abolitionist who played a significant role in the campaign to abolish the slave trade in the British Empire.

Zachary Taylor (1784-1850) was the 12th President of the United States, serving from 1849 until his death in 1850. He was a career military officer who earned fame as a commander in the Mexican-American War before his election to the presidency.

Zachary Macaulay (1768-1838) was a British historian, essayist, and abolitionist who played a significant role in the campaign to abolish the slave trade in the British Empire.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Zachariah or its variations, showcasing the name's longevity and its use across different cultures and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Zachariah over time

The chart below shows babies named Zachariah 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 Zachariah, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 116 births in 2024, compared with 148 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Zachariah
03774111148199620102024

Decades

Zachariah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zachariah 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 #362 604 5
2010s #350 1,268 10
2000s #317 1,032 10
1990s #313 330 4

Geography

Where Zachariah is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Zachariah. 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.

Zachariah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #352 in 2022.

Northern Ireland
4
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Zachariah in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#727 in 2024

15 years of NRS records, 60 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#352 in 2022

13 years of NISRA records, 53 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Zachariah

  • Zachariah Rush

    writer; poet; filmmaker; literary critic; visual artist; librettist

    author

    1978-

  • Zachariah Pearson

    merchant; philanthropist

    British businessman

    1821-1891

  • Zachariah Button

    cricketer

    cricketer; (born 1770)

    1770-

  • Zachariah Williams

    inventor; medic

    experimental philosopher

    1673-1755

  • Zachariah Lok

    politician

    English politician

    1561-1603

Related

Names similar to Zachariah

FAQ

Zachariah: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Zachariah was ranked #371 for boys in England and Wales, with 116 births registered.

When was Zachariah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2023, with 148 babies registered as Zachariah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Zachariah?

A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Lord has remembered".

How many people are called Zachariah in the UK?

A total of 3,234 babies have been registered as Zachariah across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 60 more in Scotland and 53 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Zachariah most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Zachariah ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #352 in 2022. 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.