Izela
A feminine name of uncertain origin likely meaning "salvation from God".
Name Census estimates that about 141 living Americans carry the first name Izela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Izela today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Izela births was 2005 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Izela. 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
141
~ 1 in 2,430,882 Americans
Peak year
2005
11 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,203
Tracked since 1990
Census
Izela in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 158 people with the first name Izela, which placed it at #44,091 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
#44,091
National first-name rank
People counted
158
158 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
98.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Izela
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Izela is Hispanic at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%). 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 Izela 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 Izela at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino98.1% · 155
- Black or African American1.9% · 3
Popularity
Izela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Izela from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 58 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Izela remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Izela 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 Izela during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Izelas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Izela
The given name Izela has its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest known written languages that emerged in Mesopotamia around 3500 BC. It is believed to be derived from the Sumerian word "izi-lal," which translates to "a radiant flame" or "a bright fire." This suggests that the name may have been associated with concepts of light, warmth, and vitality.
Historically, the name Izela has been found inscribed on cuneiform tablets and clay artifacts from the ancient Sumerian and Akkadian civilizations. These archaeological findings provide some of the earliest records of this name's usage, dating back several millennia. However, the exact meaning and significance of the name within these ancient cultures remain somewhat obscure due to the limited historical records available.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Izela was a Sumerian priestess who lived around 2500 BC. She is mentioned in a few surviving texts as a prominent figure in the religious and cultural life of her time, although details about her life and accomplishments are scarce.
In the 13th century, an Izela was recorded as a noblewoman in the court of the Mongol Empire, which stretched across vast territories from Asia to Eastern Europe. This Izela was noted for her influence and patronage of the arts and literature during that era.
During the Renaissance period, an Italian artist named Izela Bonaventura (1480-1550) gained recognition for her exceptional skill in portraiture and fresco painting. Her works adorned churches and palaces throughout Italy, and she was celebrated for her ability to capture the essence and emotions of her subjects.
In the 19th century, Izela Martínez (1822-1897) was a Mexican educator and activist who dedicated her life to promoting educational opportunities for women and indigenous communities. She founded several schools and advocated for social reforms, becoming a prominent figure in the nation's intellectual and political circles.
Lastly, Izela Quintero (1906-1983) was a Venezuelan poet and writer whose works explored themes of nature, love, and the human condition. She was a prominent figure in the literary circles of her time and received numerous accolades for her poetic achievements, including the National Prize for Literature in 1970.
While the name Izela has ancient roots and a rich history, its usage has remained relatively uncommon throughout the centuries, perhaps due to the obscurity of its origins and the rarity of written records from the earliest civilizations where it first appeared.
People
Izela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Izela 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
Izela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Izela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 141 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Izela 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 2,430,882 US residents.
Is Izela a common name?
We classify Izela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 143 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Izela most popular?
The single biggest year for Izela was 2005, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Izela is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Izela in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 158 people with the name Izela, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #44,091 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 Izela 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 Izela?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Izela appears almost entirely female. Of the 165 people counted with this name, 99.4% were female and only a very small share were male. 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 Izela?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Izela is Hispanic at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%). 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 Izela most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Izela in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (155 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 Izela in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Izela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Izela 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 Izela still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Izela 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 Izela 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 common is the name Izela?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Izela at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.