UK girl's name
Zipporah
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "small bird" or "little bird".
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.
Zipporah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Zipporah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2574, with 10 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 10 births.
This profile covers 103 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 1996 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.
Zipporah is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 102 living people in the UK are called Zipporah. 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
- • Zipporah ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 10 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 10 girls were registered as Zipporah.
- • About 102 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zipporah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2574
2024
Births in 2024
10
Latest year
Peak year
2024
10 births
Estimated living
102
2026
Meaning
What does Zipporah mean?
The name Zipporah has its origins in Hebrew, derived from the word "tzipor" meaning "bird". It is a feminine name that first appeared in the biblical Book of Exodus, referring to the wife of Moses.
In the Hebrew Bible, Zipporah was a Midianite woman who became the wife of Moses after he fled Egypt. She is credited with saving Moses' life by circumcising their son when God sought to kill Moses for failing to perform the ritual. Zipporah's role in the story highlights the significance of the name and its association with the preservation of life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zipporah appears in the Septuagint, the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, dating back to the 3rd century BCE. The name is also mentioned in various Midrashic texts, which are ancient Jewish commentaries on the Hebrew scriptures.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Zipporah. One of the earliest recorded examples is Zipporah Nunes Bais (1645-1701), a Dutch-Jewish writer and poet who was one of the first female literary figures in the Netherlands.
Another notable Zipporah was Zipporah Potter Cushman Colburn (1788-1875), an American author and educator who wrote several popular books on domestic economy and household management in the 19th century.
In the 20th century, Zipporah Batnitsky (1904-1976) was a Russian-American writer and Holocaust survivor who authored the memoir "A Life Reborn" recounting her experiences during World War II.
Zipporah Mirai (1921-2005) was a renowned Israeli artist and sculptor known for her abstract and modernist works, many of which are displayed in museums and public spaces throughout Israel.
More recently, Zipporah Joseph (born 1960) is a British author and academic who has written extensively on issues of race, gender, and identity in contemporary literature and culture.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Zipporah throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence and significance across various cultures and time periods.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Zipporah over time
The chart below shows babies named Zipporah 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 Zipporah, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 10 births in 2024, compared with 10 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zipporah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zipporah 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 | #3924 | 29 | 5 |
| 2010s | #4421 | 36 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3979 | 32 | 8 |
| 1990s | #3822 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Zipporah
- Zoe 23,808
- Zara 19,377
- Zainab 9,407
- Zahra 8,438
- Zoya 4,523
- Zuzanna 4,231
- Zaynab 3,722
- Zofia 2,773
- Zaynah 1,472
- Zaina 1,376
- Zoey 1,262
- Zarah 1,167
FAQ
Zipporah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Zipporah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Zipporah was ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales, with 10 births registered.
When was Zipporah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 10 babies registered as Zipporah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Zipporah?
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "small bird" or "little bird".
How many people are called Zipporah in the UK?
A total of 103 babies have been registered as Zipporah across the 22 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.