Zella
Girl name · #1734 in 2025 · Very rare
Zella ranks #1734 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 117 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1464, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 15,385 girls born in 2025 was named Zella.
The 145-year story
Zella first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 31 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1917, when 298 girls were named Zella — good for #363 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 Zella per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Zella against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Zella in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Zella is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Zella will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Zella is most common
State-level data for Zella is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Zella
Statistically, parents drawn to Zella tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Nella, Adella, Luella, Vella, and Novella.
NellaAdellaLuellaVellaNovellaRosellaLillaLovella
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Zella | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 117 | #1733 |
| 2024 | 109 | #1840 |
| 2023 | 131 | #1595 |
| 2022 | 156 | #1437 |
| 2021 | 183 | #1269 |
| 2020 | 124 | #1654 |
| 2019 | 162 | #1383 |
| 2018 | 166 | #1360 |
| 2017 | 160 | #1422 |
| 2016 | 156 | #1472 |
| 2015 | 157 | #1464 |
| 2014 | 84 | #2236 |
| 2013 | 102 | #1939 |
| 2012 | 92 | #2078 |
| 2011 | 90 | #2124 |
| 2010 | 71 | #2562 |
| 2009 | 60 | #2892 |
| 2008 | 53 | #3158 |
| 2007 | 48 | #3428 |
| 2006 | 40 | #3795 |
| 2005 | 35 | #4029 |
| 2004 | 34 | #4093 |
| 2003 | 17 | #6576 |
| 2002 | 15 | #7045 |
| 2001 | 16 | #6619 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Zella a popular girl name?
Zella ranked #1734 among girls in 2025 with 117 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1464.
When was the name Zella most popular?
Zella peaked in 1917, when 298 American girls received the name (ranked #363 that year). Since 1917 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Zella?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 15,385 newborn American girls was named Zella. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
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.