UK boy's name
Zayn
A traditionally masculine name of Arabic origins meaning "beauty".
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.
Zayn is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Zayn popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #137, with 390 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 390 births.
This profile covers 4,326 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.
Zayn is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 4,519 living people in the UK are called Zayn. 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
- • Zayn ranked #137 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 390 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 390 boys were registered as Zayn.
- • Zayn ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #330 in 2024.
- • About 4,519 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zayn as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#137
2024
Births in 2024
390
Latest year
Peak year
2024
390 births
Estimated living
4,519
2026
Meaning
What does Zayn mean?
Zayn is a name of Arabic origin, derived from the word "Zayn" which means "beauty" or "grace" in the Arabic language. The name has been in use for centuries, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 7th century AD during the early days of Islamic civilization.
The name Zayn gained widespread popularity in the Middle East and other regions influenced by Arabic culture and Islamic teachings. It is believed to be associated with the name of one of the grandsons of the Prophet Muhammad, Zayn al-Abidin, who lived in the 7th century AD and was revered for his piety and wisdom.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Zayn was Zayn al-Din al-Amidi, a renowned Islamic scholar and philosopher who lived in the 12th century AD. He made significant contributions to the fields of logic, theology, and jurisprudence.
In the 13th century, Zayn al-Din Ghaznavi was a prominent Persian poet and mystic who wrote extensively on the themes of love, spirituality, and Sufism. His works continue to be celebrated and studied in the literary circles of the Middle East and Central Asia.
During the 14th century, Zayn al-Din Mahmud Wasiti was a famous calligrapher and artist from Persia, known for his mastery of the Naskh and Thuluth calligraphic styles. His works adorned many historical manuscripts and architectural monuments of the time.
In the 16th century, Zayn al-Din al-Ma'bari was a renowned Yemeni poet and scholar who made significant contributions to Arabic literature and Islamic studies. His poetic works were widely admired for their depth and eloquence.
Throughout history, the name Zayn has been carried by numerous individuals across various fields, including religion, literature, arts, and academia, reflecting its enduring popularity and cultural significance in the Arabic-speaking world and beyond.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Zayn over time
The chart below shows babies named Zayn 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 Zayn, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 390 births in 2024, compared with 390 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zayn by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zayn 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 | #162 | 1,638 | 5 |
| 2010s | #261 | 2,203 | 10 |
| 2000s | #635 | 397 | 10 |
| 1990s | #749 | 88 | 4 |
Geography
Where Zayn is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Zayn. 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.
Zayn ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #330 in 2024.
Across the UK
Zayn in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#330 in 2024
16 years of NRS records, 181 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#339 in 2024
10 years of NISRA records, 39 total registered
Related
Names similar to Zayn
- Zachary 29,362
- Zak 9,988
- Zain 7,620
- Zac 7,272
- Zack 7,101
- Zakariya 5,447
- Zach 4,754
- Zachariah 3,234
- Zion 3,141
- Zane 2,818
- Zayd 2,609
- Zayan 2,318
FAQ
Zayn: questions and answers
How popular is the name Zayn in the UK right now?
In 2024, Zayn was ranked #137 for boys in England and Wales, with 390 births registered.
When was Zayn most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 390 babies registered as Zayn in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Zayn?
A traditionally masculine name of Arabic origins meaning "beauty".
How many people are called Zayn in the UK?
A total of 4,326 babies have been registered as Zayn across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 181 more in Scotland and 39 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Zayn most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Zayn ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #330 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.