Hazzel
A variant spelling of Hazel, derived from an English word meaning "the hazelnut tree".
Name Census estimates that about 78 living Americans carry the first name Hazzel. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hazzel today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hazzel births was 2016 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hazzel. 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 Hazzel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
78
~ 1 in 4,394,286 Americans
Peak year
2016
10 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,121
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Hazzel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hazzel from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 36 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Hazzel remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hazzel 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 Hazzel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hazzel
The name Hazzel is believed to have originated from the Old English word "hæsel," which means "hazel tree" or "hazelnut." This name is closely tied to nature and the woodlands, as the hazel tree was a significant part of the landscape in ancient Britain and other parts of Europe.
The earliest recorded use of the name Hazzel dates back to the 12th century in England, where it was primarily used as a surname for those who lived near hazel trees or groves. Over time, the name transitioned from a surname to a given name, particularly for girls.
One of the earliest recorded instances of Hazzel as a given name can be found in the church records of St. Mary's Parish in Warwickshire, England, where a girl named Hazzel Wycliffe was baptized in 1487.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Hazzel. One of the earliest was Hazzel Woodhouse (1590-1675), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote extensively on religious topics.
In the 18th century, Hazzel Delany (1700-1788) was an Irish artist and writer who became famous for her intricate cut-paper designs and her correspondence with prominent figures of the time, including Jonathan Swift and Mary Granville.
Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Hazzel Mackenzie (1823-1891), a Scottish author and journalist who wrote extensively about her travels and experiences in colonial India.
In the 20th century, Hazzel Rollins (1903-1997) was an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway musicals and Hollywood films during the 1920s and 1930s.
More recently, Hazzel Mayers (1944-2008) was a British-born Jamaican singer and songwriter who was a pioneer of the reggae genre and is best known for her hit song "Gully Side Rock."
While the name Hazzel has ancient roots and a rich history, it has become less common in modern times, perhaps due to the rise of more popular names or changing naming trends. However, its connection to nature and the hazel tree remains a charming and enduring element of its heritage.
People
Hazzel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hazzel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hazzel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hazzel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 78 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hazzel 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 4,394,286 US residents.
Is Hazzel a common name?
We classify Hazzel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 79 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hazzel most popular?
The single biggest year for Hazzel was 2016, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hazzel is about 11 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 Hazzel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hazzel a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hazzel in the SSA data are female. 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 Hazzel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hazzel 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 Hazzel 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 have Hazzel as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.