Total births
21
Unisex name · since 1892
Zelle
21 babies named Zelle in U.S. Social Security records since 1892, with the highest year being 1892. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 21
- total births
- 1892–2021
- years on record
- 1890s
- peak decade
- 29%
- born in that decade
Zelle is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 21 have been recorded since 1892.
Zelle has 21 recorded births among girls since 1892, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1890s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1892 to 2021.
- 21 total births
- 1892–2021 years on record
- 1890s peak decade
- 29% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
21 girls have been named Zelle since 1892, peaking in the 1890s, last recorded in 2021.
- 21
- total births
- 1892–2021
- years on record
- 1890s
- peak decade
- 29%
- born in that decade
1890s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Zelle was born in this single decade.
1892
Single peak year
6 babies were named Zelle in 1892 - its busiest year on record.
Zelle's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Zelle splits its recorded history at 2011: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1922 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1892 peak of 6 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Zelle at a glance
Last recorded 2021Peak year
1892
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1892
Zelle popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1892–2021
- Peak year (1892)
- 6
- Annual births at peak, across 130 years of records
Zelle popularity over time - boys
6 total births recorded since 2024 (Zelle as boys' name)
Zelle by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1890s was Zelle's strongest decade.
6 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Zelle births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s
1890s
6 births
- 1920s
1920s
5 births
- 2010s
2010s
5 births
- 2020s
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1890s at 6 births (29% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zelle? ▼
Zelle has been given to 21 babies in the U.S. since 1892, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2021. 6 babies were born in 1892, its single highest year.
When was Zelle most popular? ▼
Zelle was most popular in the 1890s decade with 6 total births. The single peak year was 1892.
Is Zelle a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Zelle is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 21 births, and as a boy's name it has 6 births.
How long has the name Zelle been used? ▼
Records for Zelle go back to 1892, giving 130 years of history through 2021.
What names are similar to Zelle? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zelma, Zelda, Zella, Zelie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Zelle's data
- Zelle's usage has stayed within range of its 1890s decade-level peak (6 total births) through the 2020s (5) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- 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 Zelle
Nearby Names Like Zelle
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zelle
Zelma Girl
#6643 16,824 births
Zelda Girl
#747 16,734 births
Zella Girl
#1840 13,369 births
Zelie Girl
#1822 1,264 births
Zelia Girl
#5447 1,177 births
Compare Zelle side by side: Zelle vs Zelma Zelle vs Zelda Zelle vs Zella
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1892–2021 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Zelle: Baby Name Since 1892 - 21 Births, Peak 1892." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/zelle. 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 Zelle 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.