Given name & surname
Zak
“The Lord remembers”
In English use, Zak is a diminutive of Zachary. In Hebrew use, Zachary carries the interpretation “The Lord remembers.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Zak is a diminutive of Zachary. In Hebrew use, Zachary carries the interpretation “The Lord remembers.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Zak is a diminutive of Zachariah. An origin associated with Zachariah is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Zak is a diminutive of Zachary. In English usage, Zak is a diminutive of Zach.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1965. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Zak through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,608
- 1,608 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2004
- 50 babies
- 2025
- 12
- #7,181 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −23%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 12 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 7,181 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 23.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,673 as a first name in 2020; 4,999 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Zak’s family of names
In English usage, Zak is a diminutive of Zachary. In English usage, Zak has a related form in Zach. Zak has a related form in Zachary.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Zak
- Zak PennAmerican screenwriter (born 1968)
- Zak StarkeyEnglish drummerborn 1965
- Zak OrthAmerican comedic actorborn 1970
- Zak WhitbreadAmerican soccer playerborn 1984
- Zak BrownAmerican businessman and racing driverborn 1971
- Ecco2kBritish-Swedish rapper and singerborn 1994
- Zak DempsterAustralian racing cyclistborn 1987
- Zak SantiagoCanadian film actorborn 1981
- Zak O'SullivanBritish racing driverborn 2005
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Zak, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.