Zalea
A flower name derived from the genus Azalea.
Name Census estimates that about 149 living Americans carry the first name Zalea. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zalea today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zalea births was 2010 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zalea. 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
149
~ 1 in 2,300,365 Americans
Peak year
2010
13 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,394
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Zalea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zalea 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 87 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zalea remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zalea 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 Zalea 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 Zalea
The name Zalea is believed to have originated from the Greek word 'zalos', which means 'sea'. Its roots can be traced back to ancient Greece, where it was commonly used to refer to the beautiful and serene waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
In ancient Greek mythology, Zalea was the name of a nymph, a minor goddess associated with the sea and its creatures. She was often depicted as a graceful figure, adorned with seashells and coral, symbolizing the beauty and mystery of the ocean.
The earliest recorded use of the name Zalea can be found in the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He mentions a woman named Zalea, who was a priestess in the temple of Poseidon, the god of the sea.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Zalea. One of the most famous was Zalea of Croton, a Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 6th century BC. She was known for her contributions to the field of geometry and is credited with discovering the concept of the golden ratio.
In the 3rd century AD, there was a Roman noblewoman named Zalea Aurelia, who was renowned for her philanthropy and support of the arts. She commissioned numerous public buildings and sponsored artists and writers during her lifetime.
During the Renaissance period, Zalea Della Rovere was an Italian artist and poet, born in 1490. Her works often celebrated the beauty of nature and the sea, reflecting the meaning behind her name.
Another notable figure was Zalea Montague, a British explorer and naturalist who lived in the 18th century. She traveled extensively, documenting the flora and fauna of various regions, and made significant contributions to the field of botany.
In the 19th century, Zalea Romanoff was a Russian prima ballerina, renowned for her grace and elegance on stage. Her performances captivated audiences across Europe, and she was celebrated as one of the greatest dancers of her time.
People
Zalea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zalea as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zalea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zalea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 149 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zalea 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 2,300,365 US residents.
Is Zalea a common name?
We classify Zalea as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 150 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zalea most popular?
The single biggest year for Zalea was 2010, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zalea 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 Zalea in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zalea a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zalea 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 Zalea still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zalea 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 Zalea 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 are called Zalea?
You can see how many Americans are named Zalea on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.