Zelia: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,351

among girls · ↑1,258 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Zelia · +43% vs 2024

How common

1 in 48,705

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2025

33 babies

All-time total

1,177

#6,711 all-time among girls

First recorded

1883

in Social Security records

Zelia popularity over time

1,177 babies have been named Zelia since 1883, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	33	3	–	#731
1890s	96	10	+191%	#790
1900s	79	8	-18%	#1,005
1910s	158	16	+100%	#1,175
1920s	143	14	-9%	#1,986
1930s	63	6	-56%	#2,426
1940s	45	5	-29%	#2,735
1950s	38	4	-16%	#4,738
1960s	28	3	-26%	#5,286
1970s	18	2	-36%	#8,153
1980s	6	1	-67%	#10,416
1990s	19	2	+217%	#10,562
2000s	123	12	+547%	#6,312
2010s	192	19	+56%	#5,455
2020s (to 2025)	136	23	+18%	#4,351

Where Zelia is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	35	0.02	outside top 500
2027	37	0.02	outside top 500
2028	38	0.02	outside top 500
2029	40	0.02	outside top 500
2030	41	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Zelia

Zelia is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,351 in 2025 with 33 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1883, 1,177 American babies have been named Zelia. Its peak came in 2025, when 33 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Zelia stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Zelia?

The median living Zelia is about 13 years old; half are between 6 and 25. An estimated 600 people named Zelia are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Zelia year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	33	#4,351
2024	23	#5,609
2023	21	#5,956
2022	23	#5,631
2021	17	#6,962
2020	19	#6,320
2019	17	#7,021
2018	21	#6,005
2017	18	#6,804
2016	23	#5,791
2015	25	#5,455
2014	19	#6,708
2013	22	#6,010
2012	18	#7,138
2011	12	#9,719
2010	17	#7,504
2009	22	#6,312
2008	21	#6,555
2007	12	#10,124
2006	14	#8,709
2005	16	#7,495
2004	5	#18,809
2003	14	#7,995
2002	6	#15,414
2001	6	#15,340
2000	7	#13,149
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	8	#5,286
1960	–	–
1955	8	#4,738
1950	5	#6,104
1945	–	–
1940	11	#2,735
1935	5	#4,890
1930	7	#4,041
1925	11	#3,114
1920	10	#3,339
1915	20	#1,737
1910	14	#1,266
1905	5	#2,228
1900	9	#1,430
1895	10	#1,120
1890	11	#871
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Zelia, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Zelia?

The median living Zelia is about 13 years old. Half of all living Zelias are between 6 and 25 years old.

How many people named Zelia are alive today?

An estimated 600 people named Zelia are alive in the United States, based on 1,177 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Zelia mean?

Zelia is a feminine given name.

How popular is the name Zelia in 2025?

Zelia ranked #4,351 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 33 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Zelia?

1,177 babies have been named Zelia in the United States since 1883, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Zelia most popular?

Zelia peaked in 2025, when 33 newborns received the name.

Is Zelia a boy or girl name?

Zelia is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Zelia rising or falling?

Zelia is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Zelia become more popular?

Zelia is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 41 girls named Zelia in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Zelia

Names that sound and feel close to Zelia: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Zelia with similar names → More names starting with Z →