Zuleyca
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "radiant beauty".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Zuleyca. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zuleyca today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zuleyca births was 2007 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zuleyca. 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 Zuleyca. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
2007
8 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2007 SSA rank
#13,920
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Zuleyca: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zuleyca from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 8 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
Zuleyca 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 Zuleyca 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 Zuleyca
The name Zuleyca has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "Zulaikha," which means "brilliant" or "radiant." The name is believed to have been popularized during the medieval period in the Middle East and North Africa.
According to Islamic tradition, Zuleyca (or Zulaikha) was the wife of Potiphar, an Egyptian officer mentioned in the Quran. Her story is recounted in the Quranic narrative, where she is portrayed as a righteous and virtuous woman who resisted the advances of the prophet Joseph, who was wrongly accused and imprisoned for a time.
The earliest recorded use of the name Zuleyca can be traced back to the 7th century AD, when it appeared in Arabic literature and historical records. It was a popular name among Muslim families, particularly in regions where Arabic was the predominant language.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Zuleyca. One of the earliest recorded figures was Zuleyca bint Abi Sufyan (591-675 AD), a prominent woman in early Islamic history who was known for her wisdom and piety.
Another notable Zuleyca was Zuleyca al-Mudhaffar (1180-1232 AD), a famous poet and scholar from Seville, Spain, who was renowned for her literary works and contributions to the field of Arabic literature.
In the 16th century, Zuleyca Lelo (1505-1565) was a renowned Ottoman calligrapher and artist who is credited with developing a unique style of calligraphy that was widely admired and imitated.
In more recent times, Zuleyca Santos (1933-2018) was a renowned Brazilian actress and singer who gained widespread popularity for her performances in numerous telenovelas and films.
Another notable figure was Zuleyca Rivero (1907-2008), a Mexican painter and artist who was celebrated for her vibrant and colorful depictions of Mexican culture and everyday life.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Zuleyca, a name that has its roots in the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Arabic world.
People
Zuleyca + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zuleyca 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
Zuleyca: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zuleyca?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zuleyca 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Zuleyca a common name?
We classify Zuleyca as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zuleyca most popular?
The single biggest year for Zuleyca was 2007, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zuleyca is about 23 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 Zuleyca in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zuleyca a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zuleyca 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 Zuleyca still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zuleyca 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 Zuleyca 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 Zuleyca?
Find out how many people share the name Zuleyca on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.