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Home › Baby Names Directory › Zo

Zo

♂ Boy

Pronounced ZOH /ˈzoʊ/High

Meaning: Zo is a short form lifted from longer names — Alonzo, Lorenzo, Zoltan — and now given on its own. It carries no separate meaning of its own; its sense belongs to whichever fuller name a family has in mind. The basketball player Alonzo Mourning, long known simply as Zo, helped make the clipped form familiar.Low

In 30 seconds: One bright beat: Zo (said 'ZOH') — a short form of Alonzo, Lorenzo or Zoltan, now given on its own.
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Origin LowAmerican
MeaningZo is a short form lifted from longer names — Alonzo, Lorenzo, Zoltan — and now given on its own. It carries no separate meaning of its own; its sense belongs to whichever fuller name a family has in mind. The basketball player Alonzo Mourning, long known simply as Zo, helped make the clipped form familiar.
U.S. rank (2024)#14231 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2022
Total births (all-time)≈ 94

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202320002024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Zo is a clipping rather than a root — the tail of Alonzo, Lorenzo, or the Hungarian Zoltan, kept and used alone. It has no independent etymology, and we say so plainly: the sense depends on the fuller name behind it. The nickname's fame owes much to Alonzo Mourning, known simply as Zo (said 'ZOH').

It appears only rarely for boys in the U.S. as a standalone name. Rare, ultra-short, and punchy.

Did you know? Zo travelled from nickname to name largely on the court: Alonzo Mourning was Zo to a generation of fans, and the single syllable stuck. Its meaning is borrowed from whichever longer name stands behind it.
Overall data confidence 34%
References — Zo — Short form of Alonzo/Lorenzo/Zoltan; no independent etymology

Variations

ZoeZohZeo

Nicknames

ZZozo

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Zo…

Alonzo— the fuller name Zo often shortens
Lorenzo— another source of the Zo clipping
Zane— a like brisk, single-beat Z-name
Bo— a like one-syllable short form

Explore names like Zo

By themeuncertainmodernshortnickname-name
By meaningGift / Blessing

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Zo mean?

Zo is a short form of names like Alonzo, Lorenzo or Zoltan. It has no meaning of its own — the sense comes from the fuller name behind it.

How do you pronounce Zo?

It's said ZOH /ˈzoʊ/ — one syllable.

Is Zo a boy or girl name?

Zo is used as a boy's name; the similar-sounding Zoe is a girl's name.

How popular is Zo?

Zo is a rare name for boys in the U.S. as a standalone given name.

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