This list includes 17 Roman names that start with Z, from “Zacchaeus” to “Zoticus”. Many Z names in Roman records are relatively rare and often reflect Greek or provincial origins. Writers, parents, genealogists, and students use this list for naming, research, and historical reference.

Roman names that start with Z are Roman given or family names beginning with the letter Z. Many come from Greek or regional roots, and a few appear in inscriptions and early Christian literature.

Below you’ll find the table with Gender, Pronunciation, Meaning, Type, and Notes.

Gender: Indicates the typical gender usage of the name, helping you choose appropriate names for fictional or genealogical contexts.

Pronunciation: Provides a simple phonetic guide so you can say each name confidently without needing specialist training.

Meaning: Gives a concise translation or root sense so you understand cultural or literal associations of the name.

Type: Identifies whether the entry is a praenomen, nomen, or cognomen, helping you place the name in Roman naming practices.

Notes: Offers brief historical, regional, or source details that help you judge rarity and contextual use.

Roman names that start with Z

NameGenderPronunciationMeaning
ZenoMZEH-no“of Zeus” (from Zenon)
ZenonMZEH-non“of Zeus”
ZenobiaFzeh-NOH-bee-ah“life of Zeus”
ZenasMZEE-nasprobably “of Zeus”
ZethusMZETH-usuncertain; Greek mythic name
ZephyrusMZEH-fuh-rus“west wind”
ZeuxisMZOOKS-is“yoking, joining”
ZosimusMzoh-SIH-mus“life-giving”
ZoticusMzoh-TIH-kus“vital, lively”
ZacchaeusMza-KAY-us“pure” (Hebrew)
ZachariasMza-kuh-RYE-us“Yahweh remembers”
ZosimaFzoh-SIH-mah“life-giving” (fem.)
ZelusMZEE-lus“zeal, emulation”
ZeuxippusMZOOKS-ip-us“yoking horse” (Greek)
ZopyrusMZO-py-rus“swift” or uncertain Greek root
ZenodotusMzeh-NOD-oh-tus“given by Zeus”
Zephyrus (alternative) MZEF-uh-rus“west wind”

Descriptions

Zeno
Other (Greek personal name); common in Roman-era inscriptions and literature (Pliny, Seneca); attested among freedmen and philosophers in inscriptions and papyri (CIL; Plin. NH). Often appears as a personal name or cognomen in 1st–3rd c. AD inscriptions.
Zenon
Other (Greek personal name); frequent in papyri and Egyptian archives (the Zenon papyri) and in Roman inscriptions (Pap.; CIL). Used widely in Roman Egypt and cities across the empire in the 1st–3rd centuries.
Zenobia
Other (Greek personal name); famous 3rd‑c. Palmyrene queen attested in Roman histories and inscriptions (Zosimus; Historia Augusta; CIL). Appears in Latin sources as a notable eastern ruler interacting with Rome.
Zenas
Other (Greek personal name); attested in New Testament (Titus 3:13) and Roman Christian inscriptions (Bib.; CIL). Appears as a companion name in early Christian and Roman contexts.
Zethus
Other (mythic personal name); brother of Amphion in Greek myth and used by Roman poets (Ovid Met.; Hyginus). Appears in Latin literature and mythographic lists.
Zephyrus
Other (divine name); classical Latin deity name used in Virgil and Ovid (Verg.; Ovid Met.). Appears in poetry and occasional personal epigraphy as a theophoric/name element.
Zeuxis
Other (Greek personal name); 5th‑c. BCE painter known through Roman sources (Pliny NH). Mentioned by Roman authors and occasionally used as a cognomen in inscriptions (Plin. NH; CIL).
Zosimus
Other (Greek personal name); attested in late Roman literature and many inscriptions (historian Zosimus; CIL). Used across 3rd–6th c. AD in literary and epigraphic contexts.
Zoticus
Other/cognomen; Greek-derived personal name attested in inscriptions and church literature (CIL; hagiographies). Found as a cognomen and given name in Roman and Late Antique sources.
Zacchaeus
Other (Jewish/Christian name); New Testament figure (Luke 19) and attested in Christian Latin inscriptions and catacomb epitaphs (Luke; CIL). Used among Jewish and Christian communities in Roman cities.
Zacharias
Other (Hebrew/Christian name); biblical priest Zechariah attested in New Testament and Latin Christian inscriptions (Gospel accounts; CIL). Common Christian-era personal name in the Roman Empire.
Zosima
Other (Greek female name); feminine form of Zosimus attested in Christian inscriptions and hagiographical texts (CIL; martyrologies). Found in epitaphs and monastery records of Late Antiquity.
Zelus
Other (personification/name); Greek personified concept Ζῆλος used in Latin literature (Vergil, later poets) and occasionally as a personal name in inscriptions (Verg.; CIL). Literary and epigraphic presence in Roman period.
Zeuxippus
Other (Greek personal name); attested in Greek and Roman literary sources and inscriptions (Plin.; CIL). Used in the Greek-speaking parts of the Roman world as a personal name or cognomen.
Zopyrus
Other (Greek personal name); appears in classical authors and Roman-era inscriptions and papyri (Herodotus mentions a Zopyrus; CIL). Found across Hellenic communities under Roman rule.
Zenodotus
Other (Greek personal name); attested in papyri and inscriptions (Zenodotos in papyri; CIL). Used among scholars, scribes, and city‑dwellers in Roman Egypt and the eastern provinces.
Zephyrus (alternative)
Other (variant form); alternate Latin spelling appears in poets and inscriptions (Ovid; Vergil; CIL). Included to reflect orthographic variation in Latin sources.
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