Given name
Zed
“justice of Yahweh”
Zed is used as a given name. One Hebrew interpretation is “justice of Yahweh.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “justice of Yahweh.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In English usage, Zed is a diminutive of Zedekiah.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1882. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Zed through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 454
- 454 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2018
- 18 babies
- 2025
- 8
- #9,700 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −6%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 9,700 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 6.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 18 in 2018. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 462 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Zed’s family of names
In English usage, Zed is a diminutive of Zedekiah. Zed has a related form in Zedekiah.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Zed
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Zed, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Eldad
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Berel
Berel is a masculine given name from Yiddish.
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Jahzeel
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Zabdiel
“God has given” · “gift of God”
>99% boys