Zamiel
An Arabic name meaning "friend of God" or "protected by God".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Zamiel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zamiel today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zamiel births was 2022 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zamiel. 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 Zamiel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2022
6 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,297
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Zamiel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zamiel from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zamiel 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 Zamiel 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 Zamiel
The name Zamiel has its origins in ancient Hebrew and Aramaic languages. It is believed to be derived from the root words "zam" meaning "plan" or "intention" and "el" meaning "God". The combined meaning of Zamiel can be interpreted as "God's plan" or "God's intention".
One of the earliest known references to the name Zamiel can be found in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism. In the Talmud, Zamiel is mentioned as the name of an angel who is responsible for overseeing the souls of the deceased. This association with the realm of the afterlife and the spiritual world has contributed to the mystical and enigmatic connotations of the name.
The name Zamiel gained some popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly among Jewish communities in Europe. One notable figure bearing this name was Zamiel ben Shlomo, a renowned rabbi and scholar who lived in Provence, France, in the 12th century. He was known for his expertise in Talmudic law and his influential writings on Jewish mysticism.
In the 16th century, Zamiel Raphael Levi, an Italian-born Jewish scholar and philosopher, made significant contributions to the study of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. His works were widely read and discussed among Jewish intellectuals of the time.
Another notable figure bearing the name Zamiel was Zamiel ben Yitzhak, a 17th-century Polish rabbi and Talmudic scholar. He was highly respected for his profound knowledge of Jewish law and his teachings, which influenced generations of rabbis and students.
Fast forward to the 19th century, Zamiel Zuckerkandl was an Austrian-born botanist and paleontologist. He made significant contributions to the study of plant fossils and was recognized for his pioneering work in establishing the field of paleobotany.
While the name Zamiel has its roots in ancient Hebrew and Aramaic languages, it has transcended cultural and religious boundaries over the centuries. The name's association with spiritual and mystical themes, as well as its connection to scholarly and intellectual pursuits, has added layers of complexity and intrigue to its meaning.
People
Zamiel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zamiel 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
Zamiel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zamiel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zamiel 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Zamiel a common name?
We classify Zamiel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zamiel most popular?
The single biggest year for Zamiel was 2022, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zamiel is about 9 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 Zamiel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zamiel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zamiel in the SSA data are male. 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 Zamiel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zamiel 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 Zamiel 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 Zamiel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.