Hazel
Hazel is a primarily female given name meaning "hazel", from the name of the tree or the color. It is derived from the Old English hæsel. It became a popular name in English-speaking countries during the 19th century, along with other names of plants or trees used for girls.
Meaning & Origin of Hazel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Hazel is a primarily female given name meaning "hazel", from the name of the tree or the color. It is derived from the Old English hæsel. It became a popular name in English-speaking countries during the 19th century, along with other names of plants or trees used for girls.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Hazel
Hazel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 21 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 7,615 Hazels were born — ranking #33 that year. As of 2026, Hazel ranks #19 for baby girls with 6,585 births, rising sharply (+18% over the past five years). In total, more than 309K Hazels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Hazel
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Hazel Adair (novelist) (real name H. I. Addis; 1900–1990), British novelist
- Hazel Adair (screenwriter) (1920–2015), English actress and screenwriter
- Hazel Ascot (born 1928), English child actress
- Hazel Ong'ayo Ayanga (born 1952), Kenyan theologian
- Hazel Bishop (1906–1998), American chemist and founder of a cosmetics company
- Hazel Blears (born 1956), British politician
- Hazel Brooks (1924–2002), American actress
- Hazel Brown (1942–2022), Trinbagonian women's and consumer rights activist
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Hazel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hazel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hazel
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About the name Hazel
Hazel is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 309K births in the dataset. Hazel's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #18. Use the chart and map above to compare Hazel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.