| Bilal | Zakariya | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | moisture, freshness | Arabic form of Zechariah |
| Origin | arabic | arabic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | bi-LAAL | za-ka-REE-yaa |
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2018 (195) | 2025 (189) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Bilal | Zakariya |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 981 | 881 |
| 2010s | 1,580 | 1,019 |
| 2000s | 1,419 | 467 |
| 1990s | 1,071 | 135 |
| 1980s | 553 | 9 |
| 1970s | 236 | 0 |
| 1960s | 18 | 0 |
From the root b-l-l (ب-ل-ل, 'to moisten, to wet'), understood as 'moisture, wetting, freshness'. Famously borne by Bilal ibn Rabah, the Abyssinian companion of the Prophet and Islam's first muezzin.
The Arabic form of the prophet Zechariah (Zakariyya), the father of Yahya (John). Of Hebrew origin (Zekharyah, 'God has remembered'). The Arabic form carries no native root meaning. Also spelled Zakariyya, Zakaria.
Bilal and Zakariya are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Bilal means moisture, freshness (arabic origin), while Zakariya means Arabic form of Zechariah (arabic origin).
In US records, Bilal first appears in 0 and Zakariya in 0, so Bilal has the longer recorded history.