Zuleima
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "new moon" or "loveliness".
Name Census estimates that about 692 living Americans carry the first name Zuleima. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zuleima today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zuleima births was 1994 (61 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zuleima. 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
692
~ 1 in 495,310 Americans
Peak year
1994
61 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,067
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Zuleima: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zuleima from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 335 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zuleima 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 Zuleima during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zuleimas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, Arizona recorded the most babies named Zuleima, while New York, Illinois, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 54 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zuleima
The name Zuleima has its origins in the Arabic language and can be traced back to the 7th century. It is derived from the Arabic word "zulayma," which means "soft and tender" or "gentle." The name is also believed to have connections to the Hebrew name "Shulamit," which means "peaceful."
Zuleima was a popular name among the Arabs during the early Islamic era, and it is mentioned in several ancient Arabic texts and literature. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the ancient Arabic poem "Mu'allaqat," which dates back to the 6th century.
In the 12th century, a famous Andalusian poet named Zuleima was known for her beautiful poetry and her love for a Christian knight. Her tragic love story became a popular theme in literature and art during the medieval period.
During the 16th century, a Spanish noblewoman named Zuleima de Borbón y Aragón was renowned for her beauty and intelligence. She served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Isabella of Spain and was known for her influential role in the royal court.
In the 18th century, Zuleima Cosca was an Italian painter and engraver who gained recognition for her stunning portraits and landscape paintings. She was one of the few female artists to achieve success during that time period.
Another notable figure named Zuleima was Zuleima Arroyo, a Puerto Rican activist and feminist who played a significant role in the women's rights movement in the early 20th century. She fought for women's suffrage and equal rights, and her work helped pave the way for future generations of women leaders.
Throughout history, the name Zuleima has been borne by various individuals from different cultures and backgrounds, each leaving their mark on the world in their own unique way. The name's Arabic roots and its association with gentleness and peace have contributed to its enduring popularity across generations.
People
Zuleima + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zuleima 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
Zuleima: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zuleima?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 692 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zuleima 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 495,310 US residents.
Is Zuleima a common name?
We classify Zuleima as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 709 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zuleima most popular?
The single biggest year for Zuleima was 1994, when 61 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zuleima is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zuleima a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zuleima 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.