Given name & surname
Ziyad
“one who betters himself; growth”
Ziyad is used as a given name and a surname. One Arabic interpretation is “one who betters himself; growth.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Arabic interpretation is “one who betters himself; growth.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Arabic.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1976. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ziyad through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,052
- 1,052 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2015
- 58 babies
- 2025
- 52
- #2,571 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −1%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 52 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,571 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 0.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 58 in 2015. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,003 as a first name in 2020; 224 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.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Ziyad
- Ziyad Al-JohaniSaudi footballerborn 2001
- Ziyad al-NakhalahPalestinian politicianborn 1953
- Ziyad ibn Abihiarab Administrator, Governor and Statesman623–673
- Ziyad ibn Salih al-Khuza'i8th-century Abbasid military commander
- Ziyad BahaMoroccan footballerborn 2009
- Ziyad Al-KordPalestinian footballerborn 1974
- Ziyad Al-Sahafiassociation football playerborn 1994
- Ziyad TariqIraqi footballerborn 1977
- Abu Muhammad al-SufyaniUmayyad prince and a pretender to the Umayyad Caliphate (died c.754)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ziyad, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Murad
Murad is a masculine given name from Ottoman Turkish, ultimately from Arabic. It is used in English, Azerbaijani, and Tausug.
>99% boys
Hamad
“praise”
>99% boys
Zidane
“abundant increase, prosperity”
>99% boys
Said
“filled with happiness”
>99% boys
Ayub
Ayub is a surname from Arabic. It is used in English, Turkish, Indonesian, and Malay.
>99% boys
Zeyn
Zeyn is a masculine given name from Arabic. It is used in Azerbaijani.
>99% boys
Kanaan
Kanaan is a surname from Arabic.
>99% boys
Abdulaziz
“the servant of Aziz”
>99% boys