| Ethan | Zachary | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Strong, enduring | The Lord has remembered |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | EE-thun | ZAK-uh-ree |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1882 | 1900 |
| Peak year | 2004 (22,210) | 1993 (25,538) |
| In 2025 | 7,852 | 1,646 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ethan | Zachary |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 50,594 | 13,208 |
| 2010s | 149,111 | 51,146 |
| 2000s | 201,835 | 134,756 |
| 1990s | 66,930 | 225,290 |
| 1980s | 10,490 | 101,818 |
| 1970s | 5,301 | 19,060 |
| 1960s | 1,601 | 3,476 |
| 1950s | 553 | 2,169 |
| 1940s | 254 | 404 |
| 1930s | 225 | 142 |
| 1920s | 233 | 168 |
| 1910s | 184 | 109 |
| 1900s | 17 | 6 |
| 1890s | 31 | 0 |
| 1880s | 30 | 0 |
Ethan comes from the Hebrew for “firm, enduring, strong.” In the Bible, Ethan the Ezrahite was noted for his wisdom.
Zachary is an English form of Zechariah, Hebrew for “Yahweh remembers.” It was borne by Zachary Taylor, the twelfth US president.
Ethan is more popular than Zachary today: about 7,852 US babies were given the name Ethan in 2025, compared with 1,646 named Zachary.
Ethan means Strong, enduring (Hebrew origin), while Zachary means The Lord has remembered (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Ethan first appears in 1882 and Zachary in 1900, so Ethan has the longer recorded history.