NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Zakai

Masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "innocent" or "pure".

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.

Zakai is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Zakai popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1076, with 27 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 27 births.

This profile covers 228 England and Wales registrations across 17 recorded years from 2007 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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.

Zakai is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 227 living people in the UK are called Zakai. 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

  • Zakai ranked #1076 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 27 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 27 boys were registered as Zakai.
  • About 227 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zakai as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1076

2024

Births in 2024

27

Latest year

Peak year

2024

27 births

Estimated living

227

2026

Meaning

What does Zakai mean?

The name Zakai is believed to have its origins in the Hebrew language and culture. It is derived from the Hebrew word "zakah," which means "pure" or "innocent." The name is thought to have first emerged during the biblical period, around the time of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zakai can be found in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism. The Talmud mentions a sage named Zakai, who lived during the 1st century BCE and was known for his wisdom and teachings.

In the Christian tradition, the name Zakai is sometimes associated with Zacchaeus, a tax collector mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. According to the biblical account, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus, who then visited his home and praised his repentance.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Zakai. One of the earliest was Zakai ben Gurion, a Jewish scholar and leader who lived in the 1st century CE and played a role in the Jewish revolt against Roman rule.

Another prominent figure was Rabbi Zakai ben Avtalion, a Jewish sage who lived in the 1st century BCE and was one of the leaders of the Sanhedrin, the highest court of ancient Israel.

In the medieval period, Zakai ben Yosef, a Jewish philosopher and author from Spain, made significant contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics in the 12th century.

During the Renaissance, Zakai ben Avraham, an Italian Jewish scholar and mathematician, gained recognition for his work on trigonometry and astronomy in the 16th century.

More recently, in the 20th century, Zakai Shalom was an Israeli politician and one of the signatories of the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Zakai, showcasing its enduring presence and significance across different eras and cultures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Zakai over time

The chart below shows babies named Zakai registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2007 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 Zakai, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 27 births in 2024, compared with 27 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Zakai
07142027200720152024

Decades

Zakai by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zakai 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 #1294 105 5
2010s #2107 109 9
2000s #3550 14 3

Related

Names similar to Zakai

FAQ

Zakai: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Zakai was ranked #1076 for boys in England and Wales, with 27 births registered.

When was Zakai most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 27 babies registered as Zakai in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Zakai?

Masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "innocent" or "pure".

How many people are called Zakai in the UK?

A total of 228 babies have been registered as Zakai across the 17 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.