Given name & surname · also Classical Greek
Zeno
“a gift of Zeus”
Zeno is used as a given name and a surname. One Greek interpretation is “a gift of Zeus.”
Original GreekΖήνων
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Greek interpretation is “a gift of Zeus.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
In Italian usage, Zeno developed from Ζήνων.
The story
Past bearers associated with Zeno include two major Greek philosophers and a Christian Eastern Roman emperor.
Zeno through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,491
- 1,491 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 58 babies
- 2025
- 53
- #2,537 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +56%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 53 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,537 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 56.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 745 as a first name in 2020; 2,975 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.
Zeno’s family of names
Zeno has a feminine form in Zena. In English usage, Zeno has a related form in Zenon. In English usage, Zeno has a conventional equivalent in the Polish form Zenon.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Zeno has relatives in 18 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
Ancient Greekwhere Zeno comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 11
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Zenonvariant · English, Polish
- Zenosvariant
- Zinovariant
- Zennolikely variant
- Zenoviyvariant
- Zinoviyvariant
- Zenobiosvariant
- Zenobovariant
Show 3 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 15
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Zeno
- Zeno of EleaGreek philosopher (c. 495 – c. 430 BC)489 BC–424 BC
- Zeno of CitiumGreek philosopher, founder of Stoicism333 BC–262 BC
- Zeno DebastBelgian association football player (born 2003)
- Zeno of VeronaItalian Catholic bishop and saint (300-371)
- Zeno of SidonEpicurean philosopher from the Phoenician city of Sidon (150-c. 75 BCE)149 BC–69 BC
- Zeno of Tarsus3rd century BCE Greek Stoic philosopher250 BC–200 BC
- Zeno Colòalpine skier (1920-1993)
- Zeno Van Den BoschBelgian association football playerborn 2003
- Zeno RothGerman guitarist (1956–2018)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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If you love Zeno, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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