Zoe
/ˈzoʊ.iː/noun
A female given name from Greek meaning “life.”
Did you know?Zoe comes from the same Greek root as words like zoology and zodiac, because ancient Greek saw animals and the living cosmos as part of the same life-force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷeyh₃-
“to live, be alive”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ζωή (zōḗ)
“life”
Late Antiquity
Greek
Ζωή (Zōḗ)
“used as a personal name, especially among early Christians”
Latin
Latin
Zoe
“a transliterated Greek female name”
Modern English
English
Zoe
“a female given name”
Explore more surprising origins