Zoe: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

Girl name origins & meanings

Greek : Life

What does Zoe mean and stand for?

The name Zoe is of Greek origin meaning "life." The name originated when Alexandrian Jews translated the name Eve in the third century to its equivalent: Zoe. Popular with early Christians, Zoe was used as far back as the Roman classical period.

Syllables: 1

Girl name variations

Famous people with this last name

Rachel Zoe

Famous people who gave their babies this name

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Zoe has been consistently popular, remaining in the top 50 since 2009, and in the top 100 since 2000. It has reached peak popularity at position 31 in 2010, 2011, and 2013.

However, it is the 33rd most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Isabella was at its peak popularity in September 2020.

Zoe first originated in the third century after Alexandrian Jews translated the name Eve to the Greek equivalent of Zoe. The name was hugely popular with Christians, but didn't make its way to the English-speaking world until the mid-nineteenth century. Despite this delay, Zoe has been consistently popular, staying in the top 1000 since the 1880s. Zoe has been a popular name for main characters, appearing in Firefly, Hart of Dixie, House of Cards, and of course, Sesame Street.