Mazal
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "good luck" or "fortune".
Name Census estimates that about 202 living Americans carry the first name Mazal. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mazal today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mazal births was 2004 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mazal. 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
202
~ 1 in 1,696,804 Americans
Peak year
2004
14 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,950
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Mazal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mazal 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 82 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Mazal remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mazal 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 Mazal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mazals live
Origin
Meaning and history of Mazal
The name Mazal is derived from the Hebrew word "mazal," which means "luck" or "fortune." It is a name that has its roots in Jewish culture and tradition, with origins dating back to ancient times.
In the Hebrew language, the word "mazal" is often used in phrases such as "mazal tov," which is a common expression of congratulations and well-wishes. This connection to luck and good fortune may have influenced the choice of the name Mazal for children, as it was seen as a way to bestow blessings and positive energy upon them.
The name Mazal can be found in various historical texts and records throughout Jewish history. For example, it is mentioned in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism, which dates back to the 3rd to 6th centuries CE. This suggests that the name was in use during the time of the Talmudic sages.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Mazal can be found in the 12th century, with the birth of Mazal Tov, a prominent Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived in Spain during the Golden Age of Jewish culture in that region. He was known for his contributions to the study of Jewish law and ethics.
Another notable figure with the name Mazal was Mazal Baizri, a 16th-century Jewish poet and scholar from Safed, a city in present-day Israel. She was part of a circle of influential Jewish mystics and writers who lived during the Renaissance period.
In the 18th century, Mazal Tov ben Moses Hayyim Ephraim was a renowned Talmudic scholar and author who lived in Poland. His works on Jewish law and commentary were widely studied and respected within the Jewish community of his time.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Mazal Linetzki was a prominent Jewish writer and activist from Russia. She was known for her efforts in promoting women's education and advocating for social reforms within the Jewish community.
Another notable figure with the name Mazal was Mazal Shenhav, an Israeli author and poet who lived in the 20th century. Her works explored themes of identity, feminism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and she was considered a significant voice in contemporary Israeli literature.
Throughout history, the name Mazal has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, all connected by their shared cultural and linguistic heritage. It remains a name steeped in tradition, carrying with it the symbolic meaning of luck and good fortune.
People
Mazal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mazal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mazal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mazal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 202 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mazal 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 1,696,804 US residents.
Is Mazal a common name?
We classify Mazal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 205 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mazal most popular?
The single biggest year for Mazal was 2004, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mazal is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mazal a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mazal 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.
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.