Baby Names Zoe Name Meaning By Vicky Yip Vicky Yip Vicky is a freelance writer specializing on topics relating to prenatal care, motherhood, parenting, family, and home life. She is also a Senior Contributor for HoustonMoms (City Mom Collective). Learn about our editorial process Published on February 25, 2022 Fact checked by Marley Hall Fact checked by Marley Hall LinkedIn Marley Hall is a writer and fact-checker who is certified in clinical and translational research. Her work has been published in medical journals in the field of surgery, and she has received numerous awards for publication in education. Learn about our editorial process Print Haiyang Zhou EyeEm / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents What Does Zoe Mean? How Popular is the Name Zoe? Name Variations Similar Names Suggested Sibling Names Famous People Named Zoe What Does Zoe Mean? The name Zoe is of Greek origin and comes from the name Eve, which means “life.” Alexandrian Jews translated the Hebrew name Eve to its Greek equivalent, Zoe. It became popular in early Christian circles, which associated the name Zoe with eternal life. Although an ancient name, it has a youthful and vibrant quality to it. Zoe has retained its popularity over the centuries and is still widely used. The name Zoe is well represented in pop culture, entertainment figures, and fictional characters today. Origin: The name Zoe is of Greek origin and means “life” Gender: Zoe is most commonly used as a girl name Pronunciation: ZOWE-ee Although baby names are separated by gender, Verywell Family believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It's important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best. How Popular is the Name Zoe? Zoe has spent most of the last century in the top 1,000 list of baby girl names. According to data from the Social Security Administration, it ranked as No. 724 in 1900, when data was first available. Zoe remained near the bottom of the list, ranking mostly between 700-900, over the next 80 years, and fell off the list briefly several times during that period. At one point, it was completely off the list for a decade. However, between 1988 and 1989, Zoe jumped almost 200 spots. From there it continued to climb the charts. The name became so popular that by 2012, Zoe reached No. 30, the peak of its rankings. The name is still popular but slipped to No. 41 in 2020. The sudden jump in popularity may be partly attributed to an American anthology film "New York Stories" which came out in 1989. The film consisted of three segments, one of them being "Life Without Zoë" directed by Francis Coppola. In 1993, the children's program "Sesame Street" introduced a lively muppet character named Zoe, which also put a spotlight on the name. 100 Biblical Baby Names Name Variations The following are variations of the name Zoe: Zoey (English)Zoie (English)Zoja (Croatian)Zowie (English) Zoya (Russian) Similar Names Similar sounding names to Zoe: Chloe Joey Zara Zoha Other Greek girl names: AnastasiaCalistaDanaeDemiSelenaSophiaThaliaThelmaUrsula Other girl names that start with Z: ZamoraZariahZeldaZendayaZinaZinniaZipporahZora Suggested Sibling Names Looking for a sibling name for Zoe? Here are some popular options: Ava BrodyFinnHazelIslaLeoLucaMaxMayaMiaNikoSkyeStella Famous People Named Zoe There are several famous entertainers with the name Zoe, and many fictional characters with the name as well. Famous Zoes Zoe Akins, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, poet, and authorZoe Elizabeth Sugg, an English social media personality, entrepreneur, and author who is also known as ZoellaZoë Isabella Kravitz, American actress, singer, and model who is the daughter of actor-musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa BonetZoe Saldana, American actressZoë, British singer and pop starZooey Deschanel, American actress and musician Fictional Zoes Zoe Barnes, a newspaper reporter/blogger in the TV series “House of Cards”Zoe Luper, a character in the soap opera “All My ChildrenZoe Murphy, a character from the musical “Dear Evan Hansen”Zoe Newton, a character from the soap opera “EastEnders”Zoë Nightshade, a character from the popular teen book series “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” Zoe Zibbell, a character in the kids' book series “Spy School” by Stuart GibbsZoe, an orange Muppet character on “Sesame Street”Zoey Bartlet, the youngest daughter of President Barlet on the TV series “The West Wing”Zoey Brooks, the main character on the kids' TV show “Zoey 101”Zoey Pierson, Ted's environmentalist girlfriend in “How I Met Your Mother”Zoey, Rudolph's love interest in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie” More Baby Names Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options: Top 1,000 Baby Girl Names in the U.S. 100 Greek Baby Names and Meanings 50 Hebrew Baby Names 1 Source Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Social Security Administration. Popularity of name Zoe. By Vicky Yip Vicky is a freelance writer specializing on topics relating to prenatal care, motherhood, parenting, family, and home life. She is also a Senior Contributor for HoustonMoms (City Mom Collective). See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit