Girls' name · since 1880
Zella
Zella has 13,369 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1917 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,395 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,734 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 13,369
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
13,369 babies have been named Zella since 1880, making it today's #1734 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Zella recorded 13,369 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #1734 nationally today, ahead of 90% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1,395 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #1,734 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 13,369 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zella ranks #1,395 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,734 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 13,369 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,395 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,734 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 13,369
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Zella's 13,369 recorded births place it above 98.07% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
35 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Kentucky.
How Zella compares
13,369 Top 8% higher than 92% of 17,297 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
Zella's all-time total is 36x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zella | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 13,369 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 298 | 21 | 19,840 |
Zella's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Zella's SSA record in two at 1949 and the more recent half accounts for 27% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 73%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1979, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1917 peak of 298, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Zella popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1917)
- 298
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Zella by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (2,287 births, 17% of the file).
1920s was Zella's strongest decade.
2,287 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Zella births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 639
1880s
639 births
- 1890s
1890s
1,184 births
- 1900s
1900s
1,272 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,214 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,287 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,374 births
- 1940s
1940s
924 births
- 1950s 571
1950s
571 births
- 1960s 316
1960s
316 births
- 1970s 90
1970s
90 births
- 1980s 49
1980s
49 births
- 1990s 55
1990s
55 births
- 2000s 334
2000s
334 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,240 births
- 2020s 820
2020s
820 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,287 births (17% of all-time use).
How Zella 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 Zella's total volume
Zella by state
Where Zella concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 704 | 5.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 584 | 4.4% |
| #3 | Tennessee | | 427 | 3.2% |
| #4 | Missouri | | 425 | 3.2% |
| #5 | Oklahoma | | 418 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 378 | 2.8% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 289 | 2.2% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 279 | 2.1% |
704 of 13,369 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Zella appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zella? ▼
Where does Zella sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Zella most popular? ▼
Where is Zella most popular? ▼
How long has the name Zella been used? ▼
What names are similar to Zella? ▼
What to do with Zella's data
- Zella's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (2,287 total births) through the 2020s (820) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Kentucky records the most Zellas (704 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Zella
Nearby Names Like Zella
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zella
Compare Zella side by side: Zella vs Zelma Zella vs Zelda Zella vs Zelie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zella
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Zella: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1917)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Zella 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 August 2026.