Hazel
Girl name · #21 in 2025 · Uniqueness 33/100
Hazel ranks #21 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 6,318 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #63, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 285 girls born in 2025 was named Hazel.
The 145-year story
Hazel first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 21 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 7,615 girls were named Hazel — good for #33 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Hazel per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Hazel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Hazel in class?
Hazel scores 33 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "popular" band. A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Hazel is most common
Geography matters for names, and Hazel is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Hazels were CA (584), TX (561), FL (290), OH (261), PA (261). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Hazel
Statistically, parents drawn to Hazel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Eleanor, Mabel, Clara, Evelyn, and Alice.
EleanorMabelClaraEvelynAliceElsieJosephineVivian
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Hazel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,318 | #21 |
| 2024 | 6,432 | #19 |
| 2023 | 6,193 | #18 |
| 2022 | 6,161 | #27 |
| 2021 | 6,015 | #28 |
| 2020 | 5,519 | #31 |
| 2019 | 5,464 | #33 |
| 2018 | 4,951 | #42 |
| 2017 | 5,047 | #43 |
| 2016 | 4,682 | #52 |
| 2015 | 4,302 | #63 |
| 2014 | 2,909 | #105 |
| 2013 | 2,057 | #157 |
| 2012 | 1,785 | #173 |
| 2011 | 1,481 | #211 |
| 2010 | 1,241 | #264 |
| 2009 | 1,126 | #293 |
| 2008 | 967 | #345 |
| 2007 | 909 | #357 |
| 2006 | 682 | #465 |
| 2005 | 578 | #514 |
| 2004 | 404 | #682 |
| 2003 | 385 | #680 |
| 2002 | 314 | #767 |
| 2001 | 319 | #750 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Hazel a popular girl name?
Hazel ranked #21 among girls in 2025 with 6,318 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #63.
When was the name Hazel most popular?
Hazel peaked in 1918, when 7,615 American girls received the name (ranked #33 that year). Since 1918 the name has recovered some ground.
How rare is the name Hazel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 285 newborn American girls was named Hazel. It scores 33/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "popular".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.