Zerline
A feminine diminutive of Cäcilie, derived from Latin Caecilia meaning "blind".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Zerline. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zerline today is around 88 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zerline births was 1920 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zerline. 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
- • The typical person named Zerline is about 88 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Zerlines were born before 1948.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Zerline. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1920
8 babies that year
Average age
88
years old
1949 SSA rank
#6,065
Tracked since 1907
Popularity
Zerline: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zerline from the 1900s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 28 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Zerline remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zerline 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 Zerline 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 Zerline
The name Zerline is a French form of the name Cäcilie, which has its origins in the Latin name Caecilia. Caecilia was a Roman family name derived from the Latin word "caecus," meaning "blind." It's believed that the name was initially used to refer to someone born blind or with poor eyesight.
The name Caecilia gained popularity in the early Christian era due to its association with Saint Cecilia, a semi-legendary figure venerated as the patroness of music. According to tradition, Saint Cecilia lived in Rome during the 3rd century and was martyred for her Christian faith.
The earliest recorded use of the name Zerline dates back to the 16th century in France. One of the earliest notable bearers of this name was Zerline, a character in the 1786 opera "La finta giardiniera" (The Pretended Garden-Girl) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
In literature, the name Zerline appeared in the novel "Le Père Goriot" by Honoré de Balzac, published in 1835. The character Zerline was a young woman who worked as a seamstress in Paris.
Another historical figure named Zerline was Zerline Gabrielle Henriette de Bourbon-Lavedan (1734-1794), a French noblewoman and courtier during the reign of Louis XV.
In the 19th century, Zerline Chappuis (1838-1899) was a Swiss painter known for her portraits and landscapes.
Zerline Claudius (1921-2017) was a German actress who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout her career, including the popular series "Derrick."
It's worth noting that while the name Zerline has been used throughout history, it has never been a widely popular name in most regions. However, it has maintained a presence, particularly in French-speaking areas, and has been used as a literary and artistic name.
People
Zerline + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zerline 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
Zerline: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zerline?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zerline 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Zerline a common name?
We classify Zerline as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 66 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zerline most popular?
The single biggest year for Zerline was 1920, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zerline is about 88 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 Zerline in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zerline a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zerline 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 Zerline still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zerline 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 Zerline 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 have the name Zerline?
See how many people have the name Zerline on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.