Zachary

The name Zachary is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Lord has remembered". Zachary is the English variation of Zacharias, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Zechariah. The name Zachary is attached to eight different people in the Bible, the most prominent being the father of John the Baptist, and it's also presidential, via 12th president Zachary Taylor. Zackery is an alternate spelling, and nicknames include Zack, Zach, Zac, and Zak. Zachary, a Top 20 name for over 10 years, is now dropping in the ratings. But with its ancient roots and modern feel, you can understand why Zachary has been such a longtime winner. Sir Elton John chose Zachary for his long-awaited first child, which may help propel it back into the spotlight. But contemporary parents might want to keep looking for more original alternatives. Variations such as Zachariah and Zacharias may have longer beards but at the same time feel fresher, while other Z names—from Zebedee to Zane—may suit parents whose main attraction is to the initial Z. Several of today's prominent Zacharys go by short forms—Zac Hanson, Zac Efron, Zach Galifianakis, Zach Braff and designer Zac Posen.

A perennial boy name favorite, Zachary has a lot of history behind it. There are several Zacchaeus’ in the Bible with the two most well-known being a wealthy tax collector who became a disciple of Jesus and the father of John the Baptist. And don’t forget former U.S. President Zachary Taylor. While the name was wildly popular for a while, it is currently experiencing a downward trend, so now might be a good time to hop on the Zachary train if you wanted a cool-but-not-so-common name for your son.