Date
Meaning & History
Found in occasional use as a given name from 17th century onwards, Zeal is part virtue name and part a transfer of the English surname.
While the surname is derived from a number of places in England (and thus ultimately from Old English sealh "sallow-tree"), the English word zeal is derived from Greek zêlos, used in the Bible to mean "ardent feeling; fervor" referring to any kind of strong emotion.
While the surname is derived from a number of places in England (and thus ultimately from Old English sealh "sallow-tree"), the English word zeal is derived from Greek zêlos, used in the Bible to mean "ardent feeling; fervor" referring to any kind of strong emotion.