Zillie
A diminutive form of the feminine name Zilpah, of Hebrew origin.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Zillie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zillie today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zillie births was 1900 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zillie. 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 Zillie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1900
7 babies that year
Average age
-
1923 SSA rank
#4,375
Tracked since 1900
Popularity
Zillie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zillie from the 1900s through to the 1920s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 19 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Zillie remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zillie 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 Zillie 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 Zillie
The name Zillie is a diminutive form of the name Zelda, which has its roots in the Germanic language. The name Zelda is believed to be derived from the Old German word "zel," meaning "whirlpool" or "deep well." This etymology suggests that the name may have been associated with the idea of depth or profundity.
Historically, the name Zillie emerged as a pet form or endearment variation of the name Zelda. It gained popularity in certain regions, particularly in the United States, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While its exact origin is uncertain, it is likely that the name Zillie was adopted as a playful and affectionate version of the more formal Zelda.
In terms of notable individuals bearing the name Zillie, records are scarce. However, a few examples can be found throughout history. One of the earliest known references to the name is Zillie Burgan, an American singer and vaudeville performer born in 1887. She gained recognition for her performances in various music halls and theaters during the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Zillie Thompson, an African American educator and community leader born in 1888 in Mississippi. She dedicated her life to advancing educational opportunities for Black students and played a significant role in establishing several schools and community centers in the Southern United States.
In the literary world, Zillie Maitland was a Canadian author and poet who lived from 1902 to 1981. She published several collections of poetry and short stories, exploring themes of nature, spirituality, and the human experience.
Moving forward in time, Zillie Browne was a British artist and sculptor active in the mid-20th century. Born in 1925, she gained recognition for her abstract sculptural works, which were exhibited in various galleries across the United Kingdom.
Lastly, Zillie Saunders was an American politician and activist from Mississippi, born in 1938. She played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement, advocating for voting rights and equal opportunities for African Americans in her home state.
While the name Zillie may not be as widely known as its parent name Zelda, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from entertainment and education to literature, art, and politics.
People
Zillie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zillie 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
Zillie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zillie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zillie 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 - US residents.
Is Zillie a common name?
We classify Zillie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 39 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zillie most popular?
The single biggest year for Zillie was 1900, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zillie is about 0 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 Zillie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zillie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zillie 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 Zillie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zillie 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 Zillie 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 Zillie?
You can see how many Americans are named Zillie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.