Of several origins.
In English is used both as a masculine and a feminine name.
1) Greek origin: A short form of the Greek name Zenon, deriving from Zeus, the king of all gods of Mount Olympus, according to Greek Mythology.
2) Japanese origin: From the different japanese characters, that may be translated as “well”, “so”, “silent meditation”, “meditative state”.
3) Sanskrit origin: From the word “dhyana”, meaning “absorption”, “meditation”.
4) Chinese origin: From “Chán”, meaning “zen”, the Mahayana Buddhism school from the time of the Tang dynasty.
Zen is a school of Buddhism, originated in China during the Tang dynasty.
Zen focuses on methodical meditation practice.
It became widely known in the West during the 1960s and is nowadays used frequently throughout the Western world.