Zen vs Kenji

Baby Name Comparison — 2026

Zen

Boy #959 Most Popular 1 Syllable

"meditation, absorption"

Origin: Sanskrit via Japanese

Japanese Chinese American Buddhist

✓ All Clear

Boy #853 Most Popular 2 Syllables

"strong, vigorous second son"

Origin: Japanese (健二)

Japanese Japanese-American Asian-American

✓ All Clear

Zen Rank #959

Kenji Rank #853

Kenji is more popular, ranked #853 vs #959 for Zen.

Is Zen or Kenji more popular?

Kenji is more popular, ranked #853 compared to Zen at #959 in the United States.

What do Zen and Kenji mean?

Zen means "meditation, absorption" (Sanskrit via Japanese origin). Kenji means "strong, vigorous second son" (Japanese (健二) origin).

Are Zen and Kenji boy or girl names?

Zen is primarily a boy name. Kenji is primarily a boy name.