Zilah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "shadow" or "shelter".
Name Census estimates that about 177 living Americans carry the first name Zilah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zilah today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zilah births was 2020 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zilah. 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
177
~ 1 in 1,936,465 Americans
Peak year
2020
16 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,233
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Zilah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zilah 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 90 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zilah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zilah 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 Zilah 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 Zilah
The name Zilah has its roots in the ancient Semitic languages, and it is believed to have originated in the Middle East during the early centuries of the first millennium. This name is closely related to the Hebrew word "tzelah," which means "shadow" or "shade."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zilah can be found in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of one of the wives of Lamech, a descendant of Cain. This biblical reference suggests that the name has been in use for thousands of years, and it holds significant cultural and religious significance within the Judeo-Christian traditions.
In the medieval period, the name Zilah gained popularity among various communities in the Middle East and North Africa. It was particularly common among Arabic-speaking populations, where it was often spelled as "Zillah" or "Zilah." During this time, the name was also adopted by some Jewish communities, further solidifying its connection to the Semitic linguistic and cultural heritage.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Zilah. One prominent example is Zilah Al-Sudani (c. 1240-1310), an influential Sufi poet and mystic from modern-day Sudan. Her poetry and teachings played a significant role in the spread of Sufism in the region.
Another historical figure with this name is Zilah al-Madaniyah (c. 1400-1470), a renowned Islamic scholar and theologian from Medina. She was highly respected for her knowledge of hadith (prophetic traditions) and contributed greatly to the intellectual discourse of her time.
In the 19th century, Zilah Djedi (1835-1901) was a prominent Turkish painter and one of the pioneers of the Ottoman Modernist movement. Her works, which often depicted scenes from everyday life, helped pave the way for the development of modern Turkish art.
Moving to the 20th century, Zilah Ishkanian (1905-1988) was an influential Armenian poet and writer. Her works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and national identity, earned her widespread acclaim and recognition within the Armenian literary community.
Lastly, Zilah Bythell (1942-2020) was a British artist and printmaker known for her vibrant and intricate linocut prints. Her works, which often depicted scenes from nature and everyday life, were widely exhibited and celebrated in the United Kingdom and beyond.
People
Zilah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zilah 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
Zilah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zilah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 177 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zilah 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 1,936,465 US residents.
Is Zilah a common name?
We classify Zilah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 178 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zilah most popular?
The single biggest year for Zilah was 2020, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zilah is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zilah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zilah 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.