Given name & surname

Zeynep

“beautiful”

Zeynep is a feminine given name from Turkish. It is used in English and Turkish.

Meaning & origin

What it means

Zeynep goes back to a word meaning “beautiful.”

Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Where it comes from

Zeynep comes from Turkish.

Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

How it developed

From Turkish Zeynep.

Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1981. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Zeynep through the years

Babies since 1880
1,454
0 boys · 1,454 girls
Most popular year
2022
138 babies
2025
90
#2,098 for girls
2021–25 vs 2016–20
+74%
Rising fast
025507510020002025Highest share 202256
Zeynep in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1981–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inNew Jersey, Virginia, Illinois
FewerMore, relative to births Not published
2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: New Jersey (6), Virginia (5), Illinois (6), Ohio (5), Texas (13).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 90 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,098 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 73.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (13). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,619 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.

Zeynep’s family of names

In Turkish usage, Zeynep shares a linguistic root with the Bashkir form Зәйнәб. In Kazakh usage, Zeynep is a Roman-alphabet rendering of Зейнеп. In Uyghur usage, Zeynep is a Roman-alphabet rendering of زەينەپ.

Walk Zeynep’s family in the name graph

ZeynepZeinepЗейнепزەينەپZaynabZainabЗәйнәб

Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Zeynep has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Turkish roots to each of them.

Turkish

3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 1

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Spellings & scripts 3

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Across languages 2

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

Similar names

If you love Zeynep, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Turkish · Modern

Aysel

“resembling the moonlight”

39RareRising fast

>99% girls

Turkish · Modern

Zuhal

Zuhal is a feminine given name from Turkish. It is used in French.

17Very rareRising fast

>99% girls

Greek · Modern

Defne

“laurel”

27RareEasing

>99% girls

Persian · Modern

Nouri

Nouri is a surname from Persian.

21RareRising fast

25% boys · 75% girls

Turkish · Modern

Zerena

“the golden woman”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Turkish · Modern

Asli

“one who is genuine and orig inal”

23RareRising

>99% girls

Turkish · Modern

Asena

Asena is a feminine given name. It is used in Turkish.

14Very rareRising

>99% girls

Middle Mongol · Modern

Meral

Meral is a unisex given name from Ottoman Turkish, ultimately from Middle Mongol. It is used in Turkish.

20RareCooling

>99% girls

Sibling ideas

Names that share Zeynep’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Zeynep

A sister for Zeynep