UK name, mostly boys
Zi
A Chinese unisex name meaning "mercy" or "to bestow".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 245 girls.
Zi is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Zi popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4789, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 35 births.
This profile covers 252 England and Wales registrations across 19 recorded years from 2002 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 9% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 272 living people in the UK are called Zi. 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 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Zi ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales in 2022, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 35 boys were registered as Zi.
- • Zi ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #434 in 2013.
- • Zi is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 272 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zi as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 50.7% of Zi registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4789
2022
Births in 2022
3
Latest year
Peak year
2010
35 births
Estimated living
272
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Zi
In England and Wales birth records, Zi has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 50.7% of registrations are for boys and 49.3% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Zi registered for boys
- Ranked #4,789 in 2022
- 3 boys registered in 2022
- Peak: 2010 (35 births)
Zi registered for girls
- Ranked #5,669 in 2022
- 3 girls registered in 2022
- Peak: 2008 (34 births)
Meaning
What does Zi mean?
The name Zi has its origins in Chinese culture, with its earliest known use dating back to ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Chinese character "子," which means "son" or "child." This character was often used as a suffix in names during the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC) to denote respect and status.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zi can be found in the classic Chinese text, the Analects of Confucius, where it is mentioned as the given name of Zi Gong, a disciple of the philosopher Confucius (551–479 BC). Zi Gong was known for his wisdom and integrity, and his name has become associated with these virtues in Chinese culture.
In ancient Chinese literature, the name Zi also appears in the Daodejing, a fundamental text of Taoism attributed to the philosopher Laozi (6th century BC). The text mentions a figure named Zi Qi, who is believed to have been an influential figure in the early development of Taoism.
Throughout Chinese history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Zi. One such figure was Zi Xia (507–420 BC), a renowned philosopher and thinker of the Warring States period. He was a disciple of Confucius and is credited with helping to establish the Confucian school of thought.
Another famous bearer of the name Zi was Zi Chan (476–381 BC), a Chinese military strategist and philosopher who served as a general during the Warring States period. He is best known for his contributions to the development of military strategy and tactics, as well as his philosophical writings on government and statecraft.
In more recent times, the name Zi has been carried by notable individuals such as Zi Zhongyuan (1604–1661), a Chinese mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of spherical trigonometry and the calculation of eclipses.
It is worth noting that while the name Zi has its roots in Chinese culture, it has also been adopted in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Chinese influence or diaspora communities.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Zi over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Zi in England and Wales, from 2002 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Zi, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2022, compared with 35 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zi by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zi 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 | #4319 | 7 | 2 |
| 2010s | #1931 | 155 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1830 | 90 | 7 |
Geography
Where Zi is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Zi. 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.
Zi ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #434 in 2013.
Across the UK
Zi in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#434 in 2013
4 years of NRS records, 22 total registered
Related
Names similar to Zi
- Zachary 29,362
- Zak 9,988
- Zain 7,620
- Zac 7,272
- Zack 7,101
- Zakariya 5,447
- Zach 4,754
- Zayn 4,326
- Zachariah 3,234
- Zion 3,141
- Zane 2,818
- Zayd 2,609
FAQ
Zi: questions and answers
How popular is the name Zi in the UK right now?
In 2022, Zi was ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Zi most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 35 babies registered as Zi in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Zi?
A Chinese unisex name meaning "mercy" or "to bestow".
How many people are called Zi in the UK?
A total of 252 babies have been registered as Zi across the 19 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 22 more in Scotland.
Where is Zi most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Zi ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #434 in 2013. 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.