Total births
1,264
Girls' name · since 2002
Zelie
1,264 babies named Zelie in U.S. Social Security records since 2002, with the highest year being 2021. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1822
- among girls today
- 1,264
- born since 2002
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Zelie is the #1822 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 1,264 recorded since 2002.
Zelie has 1,264 recorded births among girls since 2002, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1822 as of the latest data, more common than 90% of girls, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2002 to 2025.
- #1822 among girls today
- 1,264 born since 2002
- 2020s peak decade
- 90% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Zelie is currently the #1822 girls' name in America, more common than 90% of girls - 1,264 born since 2002, peaking in the 2020s.
- #1822
- among girls today
- 1,264
- born since 2002
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Zelie vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1822
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 90% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
55% of everyone ever named Zelie was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
142 babies were named Zelie in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Zelie compares
1,264 Top 28% higher than 72% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Zelie's all-time total is 3x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zelie | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,264 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 142 | 48 | 19,840 |
Zelie's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Zelie splits its recorded history at 2014: 90% of all births land in the more recent half, 10% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 2002 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2021 peak of 142 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Zelie at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2021
Current rank
#1,822
Active since
2002
Zelie popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2002–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 142
- Annual births at peak, across 24 years of records
Zelie by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Zelie's strongest decade.
696 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 55% of all-time use.
Zelie births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2000s 57
2000s
57 births
- 2010s
2010s
511 births
- 2020s
2020s
696 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 696 births (55% of all-time use).
How Zelie compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Zelie's total volume
Zelie vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Zelie by state
Where Zelie concentrates geographically, total births since 2002
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 108 | 8.5% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 58 | 4.6% |
| #3 | California | | 56 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Kansas | | 42 | 3.3% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 41 | 3.2% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 32 | 2.5% |
| #7 | Colorado | | 30 | 2.4% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 26 | 2.1% |
Texas share of Zelie's total US births 8.5%
Even split
108 of 1,264 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Zelie appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zelie? ▼
1,264 babies have been named Zelie since 2002. It currently ranks #1822 among girls. The peak year was 2021 with 142 births.
When was Zelie most popular? ▼
Zelie was most popular in the 2020s decade with 696 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Zelie most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Zelie are Texas (108 births), Ohio (58 births), California (56 births).
How long has the name Zelie been used? ▼
Records for Zelie go back to 2002, giving 24 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Zelie? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zelma, Zelda, Zella, Zelia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Zelie's data
- Texas records the most Zelies (108 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Zelie
Nearby Names Like Zelie
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zelie
Zelma Girl
#6643 16,824 births
Zelda Girl
#747 16,734 births
Zella Girl
#1840 13,369 births
Zelia Girl
#5447 1,177 births
Zelpha Girl
956 births
Compare Zelie side by side: Zelie vs Zelma Zelie vs Zelda Zelie vs Zella
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zelie
Madden #1821
1,551 births · Peak 2025
America #1823
13,522 births · Peak 2005
Valkyrie #1820
1,313 births · Peak 2022
Arizona #1824
3,542 births · Peak 2020
Marwa #1819
2,434 births · Peak 2025
Lanie #1825
5,602 births · Peak 2006
Asma #1818
2,747 births · Peak 2025
Madelyne #1826
3,502 births · Peak 2000
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 2002–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Zelie: #1822 Girls' Name - 1,264 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/zelie. 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 Zelie 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 June 2026.