Azayel
A masculine Arabic name meaning "one whom God protects or shelters".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Azayel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Azayel today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Azayel births was 2023 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Azayel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Azayel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2023
5 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#12,445
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Azayel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Azayel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Azayel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Azayel
The name Azayel is a relatively uncommon one, with its origins shrouded in mystery. Some linguists believe it may have its roots in ancient Aramaic or Hebrew languages, potentially derived from the root words "az" meaning strength or power, and "el" referring to a deity or divine being.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Azayel can be found in the apocryphal Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish text dating back to the 3rd century BCE. In this text, Azayel is mentioned as one of the fallen angels who descended to Earth and taught humans various forbidden arts and sciences.
Throughout history, the name Azayel has been relatively rare, but a few noteworthy individuals have borne this moniker. One of the earliest recorded was Azayel ibn Abi Wakkas (628-704 CE), a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a renowned military leader who played a significant role in the early Muslim conquests.
Another historical figure with the name Azayel was Azayel al-Mawsili (767-844 CE), a celebrated musician and singer from modern-day Iraq who is credited with developing and refining the maqamat system, which became the foundation of classical Arabic music.
In the 12th century, there was a Sufi mystic and poet named Azayel al-Baghdadi (1103-1185), whose works focused on the spiritual journey and the pursuit of divine love. His poetry and teachings had a significant influence on the development of Sufi philosophy and practices.
Jumping forward a few centuries, we find Azayel Bunker (1731-1811), an American soldier and landowner who fought in the Revolutionary War and later became a prominent figure in the early days of Vermont's statehood.
More recently, there was Azayel Barreto (1938-2019), a renowned Brazilian painter and sculptor whose works were heavily influenced by the indigenous cultures and rich natural surroundings of his native country.
While the name Azayel may have ancient roots and a fascinating history, it remains relatively uncommon in modern times, perhaps lending it an air of mystery and intrigue for those who bear this unique moniker.
People
Azayel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Azayel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Azayel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Azayel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Azayel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Azayel a common name?
We classify Azayel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Azayel most popular?
The single biggest year for Azayel was 2023, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Azayel is about 3 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Azayel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Azayel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Azayel in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Azayel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Azayel in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Azayel can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Azayel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.