Zelia
Girl name · #4271 in 2025 · Uniqueness 55/100
Zelia is currently the #4271 girl name in the United States — 33 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #5288, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 54,545 girls born in 2025 was named Zelia.
Babies named Zelia per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 142-year story
Zelia first appears in the Social Security records in 1883, when 5 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 33 babies and a rank of #4265. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Zelia against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Zelia in class?
Zelia scores 55 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Zelia is most common
State-level data for Zelia is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Zelia
Statistically, parents drawn to Zelia tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Zalia, Galia, Nalia, Xylia, and Azelia.
ZaliaGaliaNaliaXyliaAzeliaSiciliaEmmeliaHalia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Zelia | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33 | #4265 |
| 2024 | 23 | #5443 |
| 2023 | 21 | #5752 |
| 2022 | 23 | #5465 |
| 2021 | 17 | #6691 |
| 2020 | 19 | #6083 |
| 2019 | 17 | #6698 |
| 2018 | 21 | #5785 |
| 2017 | 18 | #6531 |
| 2016 | 23 | #5622 |
| 2015 | 25 | #5288 |
| 2014 | 19 | #6451 |
| 2013 | 22 | #5834 |
| 2012 | 18 | #6872 |
| 2011 | 12 | #9150 |
| 2010 | 17 | #7217 |
| 2009 | 22 | #6091 |
| 2008 | 21 | #6350 |
| 2007 | 12 | #9539 |
| 2006 | 14 | #8237 |
| 2005 | 16 | #7138 |
| 2004 | 5 | #16099 |
| 2003 | 14 | #7580 |
| 2002 | 6 | #13595 |
| 2001 | 6 | #13521 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Zelia a popular girl name?
Zelia ranked #4271 among girls in 2025 with 33 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5288.
When was the name Zelia most popular?
Zelia peaked in 2025, when 33 American girls received the name (ranked #4265 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Zelia?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 54,545 newborn American girls was named Zelia. It scores 55/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.