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Boy name · Greek

Zeus

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: sky, shine

Zeus 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
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 2020s, at 101 per million.
Babies named Zeus per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 2020s
1880s0 per million
1890s0 per million
1900s0 per million
1910s0 per million
1920s0 per million
1930s0 per million
1940s0 per million
1950s0 per million
1960s0 per million
1970s1 per million
1980s2 per million
1990s5 per million
2000s18 per million
2010s60 per million
2020s101 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
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.