Zel
The Story of Zel
As a girl name
Zel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2018, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 7 Zels were born — ranking #12,446 that year. As of 2026, Zel ranks #12,446 for girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 13 Zels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Zel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1971, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 11 Zels were born — ranking #7,170 that year. As of 2026, Zel ranks #7,170 for boys with 11 births, with steady use. In total, more than 16 Zels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Zel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Zel 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 Zel
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About the name Zel
Zel is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 16 births in the dataset. Zel's peak popularity came in 2019 when it ranked #7,170. Use the chart and map above to compare Zel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2019 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "Z" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.