Total births
16
Unisex name · since 1971
Zel
16 babies named Zel in U.S. Social Security records since 1971, with the highest year being 2019. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 16
- total births
- 1971–2019
- years on record
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 69%
- born in that decade
16 boys have been named Zel since 1971, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zel has been recorded 16 times among boys since 1971, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1971 to 2019.
- 16 total births
- 1971–2019 years on record
- 2010s peak decade
- 69% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
16 boys have been named Zel since 1971, peaking in the 2010s, last recorded in 2019.
- 16
- total births
- 1971–2019
- years on record
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 69%
- born in that decade
2010s
Peak decade
69% of everyone ever named Zel was born in this single decade.
2019
Single peak year
11 babies were named Zel in 2019 - its busiest year on record.
Zel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Zel splits its recorded history at 2019: 69% of all births land in the more recent half, 31% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1971 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2019 peak of 11 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Zel at a glance
Last recorded 2019Peak year
2019
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1971
Zel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–2019
- Peak year (2019)
- 11
- Annual births at peak, across 49 years of records
Zel popularity over time - girls
13 total births recorded since 2018 (Zel as girls' name)
Zel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Zel's strongest decade.
11 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 69% of all-time use.
Zel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s
1970s
5 births
- 2010s
2010s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 11 births (69% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zel? ▼
Zel has been given to 16 babies in the U.S. since 1971, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2019. 11 babies were born in 2019, its single highest year.
When was Zel most popular? ▼
Zel was most popular in the 2010s decade with 11 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
Is Zel a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Zel is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 16 births, and as a girl's name it has 13 births.
How long has the name Zel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Zel since 1971 -- 49 years through the most recent 2019 data.
What names are similar to Zel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zell, Zelig, Zelma, Zelmer, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
Keep exploring Zel
Nearby Names Like Zel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zel
Zell Boy
213 births
Zelig Boy
#7490 190 births
Zelma Boy
112 births
Zelmer Boy
52 births
Zeldris Boy
#6816 35 births
Compare Zel side by side: Zel vs Zell Zel vs Zelig Zel vs Zelma
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1971–2019 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Zel: Baby Name Since 1971 - 16 Births, Peak 2019." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/zel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Zel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.