Unisex · #4,889 in 2026

Zell

Current Rank
#4,889
Peak Rank
#1,891 (1925)
Total Babies
370
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #1,891 (370 total)
👦 Boy peak #1,973 (213 total)
👧As Girl Name
1898
First Year
1958
Last Year
1925
Peak Year
#1891
Peak Rank
370
Total Count
39
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1914
First Year
2023
Last Year
1919
Peak Year
#1973
Peak Rank
213
Total Count
33
Years Active

The Story of Zell

As a girl name

American parents first put Zell on the record books as a girl name in 1898, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1925, when 21 Zells were born — ranking #1,891 that year. About 32% of every Zell on record arrived during the 1910s, its defining decade. Zell last appeared in the published SSA data in 1958, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 370 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1890s to the 2020s.

As a boy name

American parents first put Zell on the record books as a boy name in 1914, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1919, when 16 Zells were born — ranking #1,973 that year. About 22% of every Zell on record arrived during the 1910s, its defining decade. Zell last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 213 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Zell

Phonetically similar names — useful when Zell 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 Zell

What does the name Zell mean?
Zell is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1898. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.
How popular is Zell in 2026?
In 2026, Zell ranks #4,889 among girls' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Zell most popular?
Zell reached its peak popularity in 1925, ranking #1,891 that year with 21 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Zell most popular?
Zell has historically been most popular in West Virginia, Virginia, Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Zell.
Is Zell a unisex name?
Yes — Zell is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 63% of Zells assigned female and 37% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Zell?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Zell include Aileene, Margree, Sagan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Zell

Zell is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1898 and has accumulated 370 births in the dataset. Zell's peak popularity came in 1925 when it ranked #1,891. Use the chart and map above to compare Zell's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.