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Zen

Zen (ぜん) is a Japanese name for boys. Its best-known spelling is 善, 善 good. It is popular today and has reached No. 50 in 2023.

ぜん · ぜん · ゼン
Most used spelling善ぜんgood

Ways to write Zen

The same sound can be written with different kanji, and each choice changes the meaning. These are the spellings that have appeared in Japan's yearly baby name rankings, most popular first.

善
善good, virtuous
Boy, best No. 50 (2018–2025)
然
然so, natural
Boy, best No. 77 (2025)
禅
禅Zen
Boy, best No. 77 (2025)

Popularity in Japan

Where the most popular spelling of Zen has ranked among baby names each year. Its best year was 2023, at No. 50.

No. 1No. 50No. 10020202025Boys, 2018: No. 94Boys, 2021: No. 79Boys, 2022: No. 64Boys, 2023: No. 50Boys, 2024: No. 69Boys, 2025: No. 65
Show the numbers
YearBoys
2025No. 65
2024No. 69
2023No. 50
2022No. 64
2021No. 79
2018No. 94

Source: Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance yearly baby name survey. It covers the top 10 names each year from 1912 to 2003, and the top 100 names and top 50 readings from 2004.