Zak - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Zak

Zak, pronounced ZAK (/zæk/), is a masculine name most often treated as a contemporary diminutive of Zachary—itself from the Hebrew Zekharyah, meaning “Yahweh remembers.” In Anglo-American contexts, Zak conveys a direct, energetic quality without feeling overly informal. Its popularity has hovered in the mid-800s to low-900s in U.S. birth rankings—peaking modestly in the mid-1980s and mid-2010s and settling at rank 904 with 20 occurrences in 2024—reflecting steady rather than dramatic appeal. Carried by figures such as paranormal investigator Zak Bagans and drummer Zak Starkey, the name bridges traditional biblical roots with a succinct, modern edge.