Zana
Feminine · “a mountain fairy in Albanian”
Zana has more than one home. In Albanian a zana is a mountain spirit from the oldest layer of the country's folklore, related to the Latin Diana. In Kurdish it means knowing or wise. And in English-speaking countries it has long been the end of Suzana and Rosana, cut loose and used on its own.
How old is the name Zana?
Zana first appears in US birth records in 1882 — 143 years ago. The typical Zana alive today was born around 1994, making them about 31 years old. About 1,800 people named Zana are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Zana most popular?
Zana peaked in 1994, reaching #802 nationally. Today it ranks #4878, 4,076 places below that high. See the whole 1994 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
The story of Zana
The Albanian zana belongs to a pre-Christian layer of belief that survived in the northern highlands into modern times: spirits who protect hunters, punish oath-breakers and are treated with great care. The name is given to girls in Albania and Kosovo. Kurdish families use the word for wisdom, and it has become popular in Kurdistan and among Kurdish communities in Europe. Meanwhile English and Slavic families arrived at the same four letters by shortening longer names, which is how one spelling ends up with three histories.
Meaningscholars disagree
a mountain fairy in Albanian; wise in Kurdish
Three accounts, all documented in their own languages. Albanian zana names a wild female spirit of the mountains and is generally connected to the Roman Diana. Kurdish zana means learned or wise. And Zana is a long-standing clipping of Suzana and Roxana in English and Slavic use. Which applies is a family matter.
Pronouncing Zana
ZAH-nuh
Two syllables, stress in front, the first vowel open. Some English-speaking families say ZAN-uh with a flat a, and both are heard.
Nicknames for Zana
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1882
- Most girls named
- 1994252 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #802reached in 1994
- Change vs 2022
- −3.6%27 in 2025, from 28
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Zana in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Zana in Albanian — same name
- Zana in Kurdish — same name
- Suzana in Portuguese — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: New York, Georgia, Texas.
Zanas among us
people named Zana are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 59,528 born in 2025 was named Zana
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Spellings of Zana
- #4878
- Zana on the 2025 chart
- #927
- counting every spelling
The SSA counts spellings, not names. Zana went to 27 girls in 2025, but Zanna is the same name said out loud. Together the 2 spellings went to 33, which makes it the 927th most-given girls’ name of the year — 3,951 places above the chart.
- Zana27
- Zanna6
About 1 girl in 48,705 born in 2025 was given one of these spellings — against 1 in 59,528 for Zana itself.
Spellings are grouped by a fixed rule that folds interchangeable English spellings of one sound (ck/k, ph/f, x/ks, a non-initial y for i) and keeps vowels apart, so Sean and Shawn stay separate names. It errs towards splitting: a family here is never larger than the truth. SSA national data, 2025. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Crista test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Zana's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Crista climbed just as high around 1971, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Crista's path sketches the road Zana is walking now.
Zana sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Zana is headed
Zana should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind. Its history is short or jumpy, though, so read this as a sketch rather than a promise.
Low confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Zana beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Zana in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Four letters and two open syllables: as easy as a name can be in almost any language.
- It is a complete name in Albanian, Kurdish and English at once.
- The z gives it a distinctive look without making it hard to read.
- Its three histories disagree, so the meaning depends on which one a family claims.
- Zana, Zena and Xena are close enough to be substituted in writing.
- A short name gives nothing to shorten and no formal register to move up to.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Zana to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Zana? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Zana
Feminine · #4878 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Zanas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,800 people named Zana are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How do you spell Zana?
- Zana is the most-used spelling in US records — 27 of the 33 babies given the name in 2025. The others recorded are Zanna.
- How popular is the name Zana in 2025?
- Zana ranks #4878 among US girl names in 2025, with 27 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Zana?
- About 1 in every 59,528 US girls born in 2025 was named Zana — 27 in all.
- Will my child share the name Zana with classmates?
- Zana will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Zana
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Evangelia#4878 · Pari#4878 · Zoraya#4878 · Saba#4878 · Chyna#4878 · Odyssey#4878 · Kamry#4878 · Maribelle#4878
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Zana? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Zana and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle