How popular is the baby name Zimbalist in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Zimbalist.

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Popularity of the baby name Zimbalist


Posts that mention the name Zimbalist

Where did the baby name Zimbalist come from in 1961?

Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.

The curious baby name Zimbalist has appeared in the U.S. baby name data only twice:

  • 1973: unlisted
  • 1972: 5 baby boys named Zimbalist
  • 1962…1971: unlisted
  • 1961: 8 baby boys named Zimbalist [debut]
  • 1960: unlisted

Where did it come from?

Actor Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., who starred in the popular TV shows 77 Sunset Strip (1958-1964) and The F.B.I. (1965-1974).

The movie By Love Possessed (1961), which featured Zimbalist along with actress Lana Turner, may be what caused that initial 1961 debut. (By Love Possessed, btw, was the first movie shown regularly aboard airplanes. The carrier was TWA, and they began screening movies in-flight for first-class passengers in mid-1961.)

His first name, Efrem, saw increased usage as soon as 77 Sunset Strip started airing:

  • 1962: 55 baby boys named Efrem
  • 1961: 83 baby boys named Efrem
  • 1960: 56 baby boys named Efrem
  • 1959: 85 baby boys named Efrem
  • 1958: 8 baby boys named Efrem
  • 1957: unlisted

Efrem is a Russian version of the Hebrew name Ephraim, which means “fruitful,” while Zimbalist is a Jewish surname that originally referred to someone who played a tsimbl, a musical instrument in the dulcimer family.

Which do you like better as a first name, Efrem or Zimbalist?

P.S. Kookie was another 77 Sunset Strip-inspired debut.

Sources: Bringing Inflight Movies to Airlines Was Harder Than It Sounds, SSA