Boy name · Greek
Zeus
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: sky, shineZeus is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "sky, shine". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Sky, shine
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1351 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Zeus
As a boy's name, Zeus comes from Greek and means "sky, shine". It is used in English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Zeus on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Zeus on 3 lists.
“King of the Greek gods, for the boss of the house”
From Boy cat names, strong male cat names
“King of the Greek gods and ruler of the backyard”
From Boy dog names, mythology names for boy dogs
“Sky, shine; Greek, from an ancient root. King of the Olympian gods”
From Greek boy names, male Greek god names
How popular is Zeus?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,351
- 140 babies, 82 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1,067 in 2024
- 205 babies that year
- Babies since 1973
- At least 2,696
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 1 per million |
| 1980s | 2 per million |
| 1990s | 5 per million |
| 2000s | 18 per million |
| 2010s | 60 per million |
| 2020s | 101 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,385 | #1,212 | #1,281 | #1,117 | #1,200 | #1,155 | #1,134 | #1,160 | #1,067 | #1,351 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Zeus
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Zinatraditional short form (Russian)
Names spelled like Zeus
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- Ze'evWolf (Hebrew, boy)
- ZekeGod strengthens (Hebrew, boy)
- ZenoOf Zeus (Greek, boy)
- ZevWolf (Hebrew, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- FalakCelestial sphere, sky (Arabic, unisex)
- AkashThe sky (Sanskrit, boy)
- AlohilaniBright sky (Hawaiian, girl)
- AntarikshSpace, sky (Sanskrit, boy)
- AsumanSky (Persian, girl)
- AzzurraAzure, sky blue (Italian, girl)
- CharalamposFrom chara, joy, and lampo, to shine (Greek, boy)
- CieloSky, heaven (Latin, girl)
- GaganSky (Sanskrit, unisex)
Middle names for Zeus
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AltonTown at a river's source (Old English, boy)
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- BartholomewSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
- BrooksSmall streams (Old English, boy)
- JonahA dove (Hebrew, boy)
- LangstonLong stone (Old English, boy)
- LelandFallow land (Old English, boy)
- QuentinFifth (Latin, boy)
More boy names from Greek
- AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
- LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
- HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
- TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
- AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
- LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
- SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
Zeus: common questions
What does the name Zeus mean?
Zeus comes from Greek and means "sky, shine".
Is Zeus a boy or girl name?
Zeus is mainly a boy's name.
What are nicknames for Zeus?
Common nicknames for Zeus include Zina.
How popular is the name Zeus?
Zeus ranked #1,351 in the US in 2025, with 140 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Zeus?
Names spelled like Zeus include Ze'ev, Zeke, Zeno and Zev.
What middle names go with Zeus?
Middle names that flow well with Zeus include Alton, Arnold, Bartholomew, Brooks and Jonah. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.

