ZEMFIRAfTatar, Bashkir, LiteratureMeaning unknown, possibly of Romani origin. This name was (first?) used by Aleksandr Pushkin in his poem 'The Gypsies' (1827).
ZENAfEnglishMeaning unknown. It could be a variant of
XENIA or a diminutive of names featuring this sound, such as
ALEXINA,
ROSINA or
ZENOBIA. This name has occasionally been used since the 19th century.
ZENAIDAfLate GreekApparently a Greek derivative of
Ζηναις (Zenais), which was derived from the name of the Greek god
ZEUS. This was the name of a 1st-century saint who was a doctor with her sister Philonella.
ZENOBIAfAncient GreekMeans "life of Zeus", derived from Greek
Ζηνο (Zeno), a prefix form of the name of
ZEUS, combined with
βιος (bios) "life". This was the name of a 3rd-century queen of Palmyra. After claiming the title 'Queen of the East' and expanding her realm into Roman territory she was defeated by Emperor Aurelian. Her Greek name was used as an approximation of her native Aramaic name.
ZHENf & mChineseFrom Chinese
珍 (zhēn) meaning "precious, rare",
真 (zhēn) meaning "real, genuine",
贞 (zhēn) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal", or other Chinese characters which are pronounced similarly.
ZHENGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
正 (zhèng) meaning "right, proper, correct" or
政 (zhèng) meaning "government", as well as other hanja characters with a similar pronunciation.
ZHIm & fChineseFrom Chinese
志 (zhì) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or
智 (zhì) meaning "wisdom, intellect", as well as other characters which are pronounced similarly.
ZHIHAOm & fChineseFrom Chinese
志 (zhì) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or
智 (zhì) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with
豪 (háo) meaning "brave, heroic, chivalrous". Many other character combinations are possible.
ZHONGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
中 (zhōng) meaning "middle" or
忠 (zhōng) meaning "loyalty, devotion". Other characters can form this name as well.
ZHOUm & fChineseFrom Chinese
舟 (zhōu) meaning "boat, ship", in addition to other characters which are pronounced similarly.
ZIBIAHfBiblicalMeans "roe, deer" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother of King Joash of Judah.
ZILLAHfBiblicalMeans "shade" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she is the second wife of Lamech.
ZINNIAfEnglish (Rare)From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.
ZIVm & fHebrewMeans "bright, radiant" in Hebrew. This was the ancient name of the second month of the Jewish calendar.
ŽIVAfSlavic Mythology, SloveneMeans "living, alive" in Slavic. This was the name of a Slavic goddess associated with life, fertility and spring.
ZOEfEnglish, Italian, Ancient GreekMeans "life" in Greek. From early times it was adopted by Hellenized Jews as a translation of
EVE. It was borne by two early Christian saints, one martyred under Emperor Hadrian, the other martyred under Diocletian. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, being borne by a ruling empress of the 11th century. As an English name,
Zoe has only been in use since the 19th century. It has generally been more common among Eastern Christians (in various spellings).
ZOLA (1)fEnglishMeaning unknown, perhaps an invented name. It has been in occasional use in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. It coincides with an Italian surname, a famous bearer being the French-Italian author Émile Zola (1840-1902).
ZONAfVariousMeans "girdle, belt" in Greek. This name was made popular by the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and poet Zona Gale.
ZORAIDAfSpanishPerhaps means "enchanting" or "dawn" in Arabic. This was the name of a minor 12th-century Spanish saint, a convert from Islam. The name was used by Cervantes for a character in his novel 'Don Quixote' (1606), in which Zoraida is a beautiful Moorish woman of Algiers who converts to Christianity and elopes with a Spanish officer.
ZRINKAfCroatianPossibly from
Zrin, the name of a village in Croatia, or from the noble Zrinski family which originated there.
ZULA (2)fEnglishMeaning unknown. It has been in use since the 19th century. It is possibly related to the name of the African tribe that lives largely in South Africa, the Zulus. In the 19th century the Zulus were a powerful nation under their leader Shaka.
ZULEIKAfLiteraturePossibly means "brilliant beauty" in Persian. According to medieval legends this was the name of Potiphar's wife in the Bible. She has been a frequent subject of poems and tales.