Zachary

ZAK·ə·ree, IPA /ˈzæk.ə.ɹi/ · 3 syllables

Zachary is comfortably familiar.

87/100

Strong Practical Fit

Balanced across pronunciation, everyday use, lifetime fit and international use.

Name Profile

Pronunciation & Spelling
Effortless
91/100
Everyday Use
Low risk
Shortens naturally in everyday use, with four established short forms.
95/100
Growing Up
Strong lifetime fit
Works comfortably across child and adult settings.
82/100
International Use
Broad international fit
Works cleanly across the assessed languages and writing systems.
85/100

NAME DETAILS

COMMON FORMS: Zac; Zach; Zack; Zak
CLOSE SPELLINGS: Zachery; Zackary; Zackery
OTHER-LANGUAGE FORMS: Zacharias; Zekharya

ORIGIN & HISTORY

About the name

"Yahweh remembers" / "God remembers," from the Hebrew elements zakhar ("to remember") and Yah (a short form of the divine name YHWH).

Hebrew Zekharyah/Zekharya (זְכַרְיָה), "Yahweh has remembered." The English form of Zechariah/Zacharias, in occasional use since the Middle Ages but uncommon until the Protestant Reformation revived Hebrew Bible names; Pope Zachary (reigned 741-752) is an early notable bearer, and 12th U.S. President Zachary Taylor (1784-1850) is the name's best-known historical namesake.
Mythological and religious contextZechariah is a Hebrew Bible prophet and author of the Book of Zechariah, and in the New Testament is the father of John the Baptist, struck mute for his disbelief until his son's birth (Luke 1); the same figure appears in the Quran as the prophet Zakariyya. Pope Zachary (reigned 741-752) is also venerated as a saint in Eastern Christian tradition.

POPULARITY

Zachary over time

United States

#216RANK

Rank #216 gives national context, not a classroom forecast.

Recognizable without feeling automatic. Ranked #216 in the U.S., 2025.

SourceU.S. Social Security Administration · 2025 release

Pronunciation & Forms

SAY IT

ZAK·ə·ree, IPA /ˈzæk.ə.ɹi/

STRESS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE

COMMON FORMS

Zac
Zach
Zack
Zak

CLOSE SPELLINGS

Zachery
Zackary
Zackery

OTHER-LANGUAGE FORMS

ZachariasEL/Latin/Biblical
ZekharyaHE
ZakariyyaQuranic Arabic

PRACTICAL LIFE

How This Name Lives

AT SCHOOL & DAY TO DAY

Currently uncommon for newborns (rank #216 in 2025, far off its 1994 peak of #12), so a baby Zachary today reads more as a name shared with an older relative than a trendy pick, though it remains instantly familiar and easy for a child to carry.

INTO ADULTHOOD

Reads as classic, wholesome, and professionally safe for an adult — a biblical name so thoroughly mainstream since its 1970s-90s boom that it carries no strong era-lock, though it now skews toward men currently in their 30s-50s rather than newborns.

Cultural Footprint

One of the most thoroughly assimilated biblical names in English, carried by an Old Testament prophet, the New Testament father of John the Baptist, an 8th-century pope, and a 19th-century U.S. president, giving it deep and continuous religious and civic pedigree rather than a single-source origin.

TRACEABLE ORIGIN

Zachary Taylor12th President of the United States · 1784-1850
Pope Zacharyreigned 741-752
Zac EfronAmerican actor
Zachary LeviAmerican actor
Zachary QuintoAmerican actor

Community Impressions

Comes across as wholesome, dependable, and quietly classic — a biblical name so fully mainstream since the late 20th century that it reads as timeless rather than trendy.

How this name is commonly received · not used in the score

More about Zachary

FORMALITY

Formal enough for professional and religious contexts, with well-established short forms (Zach, Zack) for everyday informal use.

Names around it

Zechariah Zachariah

EDITORIAL SYNTHESIS

The Decision

Zachary is spelled without unusual letter patterns, and it holds up in everyday use. Surname-dependent compatibility remains unassessed until a surname is added.

STRENGTH

English speakers will most likely pronounce it correctly on the first try. Uses standard characters that systems widely handle cleanly.

BEST FIT

Everyday Use is the strongest-scoring part of this name — no obvious nickname traps, rhymes, or initial issues detected.

FULL-NAME CHECK