The first name Zenobia
A girl’s name from Greek meaning “zaynab”.
Pronounced /zəˈnoʊ.bi.ə/ 4 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Zenobia means “zaynab” in Greek.
From Latin Zēnobiā, from Ancient Greek Ζηνοβίᾱ (Zēnobíā), name of a third century Queen of Palmyra. Ostensibly from Ζήνων (Zḗnōn), an ancient derivative of Ζεύς (Zeús), but also suggested to be a rendering of the Arabic زَيْنَب (zaynab, “Zaynab”). First recorded as an English given name in Cornwall in 1586.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Zenobia last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 3 girls. It peaked in 2012, with 4 births (#4,838).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Zenobia with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Zenobia at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 18 girls born in the United States were named Zenobia, the 6,541st most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1923, when 62 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Zenobia in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Zenobia in Dutch, German, Italian, Latin and Spanish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Zenobia
- Nobby
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Zenobia mean?
- Zenobia means “zaynab” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Zenobia?
- From Latin Zēnobiā, from Ancient Greek Ζηνοβίᾱ (Zēnobíā), name of a third century Queen of Palmyra. Ostensibly from Ζήνων (Zḗnōn), an ancient derivative of Ζεύς (Zeús), but also suggested to be a rendering of the Arabic زَيْنَب (zaynab, “Zaynab”). First recorded as an English given name in…
- How popular is the name Zenobia?
- In 2024, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Zenobia, ranking 5,891st. Its peak was 2012, with 4 births.
- What are nicknames for Zenobia?
- Common nicknames for Zenobia include Nobby.
- Is Zenobia a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 4,592 US babies named Zenobia since 1880 were girls.
- When was Zenobia most popular?
- 1923 in the United States, when 62 babies were named Zenobia, its highest rank at 940th.
- How do you pronounce Zenobia?
- Zenobia is /zəˈnoʊ.bi.ə/, 4 syllables.