Zooey
A female given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Zoë.
Every Zooey since 2003 — 1,106 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Zooey
Zooey is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #13,199 in 2025 with 7 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 2003, 1,106 American babies have been named Zooey. Its peak came in 2012, when 194 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Zooey stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Zooey year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | #13,199 |
| 2024 | 6 | #15,284 |
| 2023 | 13 | #8,485 |
| 2022 | 24 | #5,461 |
| 2021 | 27 | #4,961 |
| 2020 | 22 | #5,665 |
| 2019 | 32 | #4,436 |
| 2018 | 35 | #4,142 |
| 2017 | 52 | #3,144 |
| 2016 | 59 | #2,901 |
| 2015 | 79 | #2,350 |
| 2014 | 109 | #1,867 |
| 2013 | 138 | #1,569 |
| 2012 | 194 | #1,250 |
| 2011 | 108 | #1,873 |
| 2010 | 101 | #1,991 |
| 2009 | 54 | #3,160 |
| 2008 | 16 | #8,106 |
| 2007 | 10 | #11,624 |
| 2006 | 8 | #13,596 |
| 2005 | — | — |
| 2004 | 6 | #16,093 |
| 2003 | 6 | #15,774 |
| 2002 | — | — |
| 2001 | — | — |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1995 | — | — |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1985 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1975 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
Famous people named Zooey
- Zooey Deschanel Actor · b. 1980
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Zooey mean?
A female given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Zoë.
How popular is the name Zooey in 2025?
Zooey ranked #13,199 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 7 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Zooey?
1,106 babies have been named Zooey in the United States since 2003, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Zooey most popular?
Zooey peaked in 2012, when 194 newborns received the name.
Is Zooey a boy or girl name?
Zooey is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Zooey rising or falling?
Zooey is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Zooey?
Well-known people named Zooey include Zooey Deschanel (actor).