Ithzel
A name of Mayan origin meaning "small rainbow" or "rainbow's end".
Name Census estimates that about 148 living Americans carry the first name Ithzel. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ithzel today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ithzel births was 2002 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ithzel. 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.
People living today
148
~ 1 in 2,315,908 Americans
Peak year
2002
13 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2013 SSA rank
#17,616
Tracked since 1994
Census
Ithzel in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 163 people with the first name Ithzel, which placed it at #43,340 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#43,340
National first-name rank
People counted
163
163 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
95.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ithzel
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Ithzel is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Black (1.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Ithzel described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Ithzel at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.7% · 156
- White1.8% · 3
- Black or African American1.2% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Popularity
Ithzel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ithzel from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 96 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ithzel 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 Ithzel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ithzels live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ithzel
The name Ithzel is believed to have originated from the Nahuatl language, spoken by the Aztec people of Mexico. It is a combination of two Nahuatl words: "itz" meaning obsidian or flint, and "xel" meaning precious or valuable. The name is thought to have been given to children born during the obsidian or flint harvest season, which was an important time for the Aztec people.
The earliest recorded use of the name Ithzel dates back to the 14th century, during the height of the Aztec Empire. It is mentioned in several Aztec codices, which were books written by Aztec scribes containing historical records, religious texts, and calendars. The name was also found on various artifacts and inscriptions from that time period.
One of the first notable people to bear the name Ithzel was Ithzel Coatl, an Aztec warrior who lived in the late 15th century. He was known for his bravery in battle and his unwavering loyalty to the Aztec Empire. Another famous Ithzel was Ithzel Quetzalcoatl, a high priest and scholar who lived in the early 16th century. He was renowned for his vast knowledge of Aztec culture, religion, and astronomy.
In the 17th century, the name Ithzel was carried by Ithzel Tlacaelel, a prominent Aztec noblewoman who played a significant role in the resistance against Spanish colonization. She was known for her leadership and her efforts to preserve Aztec traditions and customs.
The name Ithzel also appeared in other parts of Mesoamerica, such as in the Maya civilization. One notable example was Ithzel K'inich, a Maya ruler who lived in the 7th century and was known for his architectural achievements and his contributions to the Maya writing system.
Throughout history, the name Ithzel has been associated with strength, resilience, and a connection to the natural world. While its popularity has waned in recent times, it remains a significant part of the cultural heritage of Mexico and Central America, serving as a reminder of the rich traditions and histories of the indigenous peoples of the region.
People
Ithzel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ithzel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ithzel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ithzel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 148 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ithzel 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 2,315,908 US residents.
Is Ithzel a common name?
We classify Ithzel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 151 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ithzel most popular?
The single biggest year for Ithzel was 2002, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ithzel is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Ithzel in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 163 people with the name Ithzel, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #43,340 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Ithzel in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ithzel?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Ithzel leans strongly female. 160 people counted with this name were female (98.8%), compared with 2 male bearers (1.2%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ithzel?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Ithzel is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Black (1.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Ithzel most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Ithzel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (156 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Ithzel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ithzel a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ithzel 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 Ithzel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ithzel 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 Ithzel 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.
How many Americans are named Ithzel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.