Zully
A Spanish feminine name with origins meaning "peace" or "serenity".
Name Census estimates that about 721 living Americans carry the first name Zully. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zully today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zully births was 2008 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zully. 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
721
~ 1 in 475,387 Americans
Peak year
2008
43 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,561
Tracked since 1955
Popularity
Zully: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zully from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 218 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zully 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 Zully during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zullys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Zully, while Illinois, New York, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 62 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zully
The name Zully is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, with the earliest records of its use dating back to the 8th century CE. It is thought to be a diminutive form of the Arabic name Zulaikha, which means "beautiful" or "brilliant one." The name was likely brought to various regions of the Middle East and North Africa by Arabic-speaking populations during periods of conquest and cultural exchange.
In Islamic tradition, Zulaikha is a prominent figure mentioned in the Qur'an as the wife of the Egyptian ruler al-Aziz. The story of Zulaikha and Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) is a popular narrative in Islamic literature, often depicting Zulaikha's unrequited love and devotion to Yusuf. This association with a significant religious figure may have contributed to the popularity and use of the name Zully in certain Muslim communities.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Zully was Zully al-Andalusi, a renowned female poet and scholar from Andalusia (modern-day Spain) during the 11th century CE. She was highly regarded for her contributions to Arabic literature and her mastery of various poetic forms.
In the 12th century, Zully al-Qurashi was a prominent Islamic jurist and theologian from Cordoba, Spain. He was known for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and his influential writings on various aspects of Sharia law.
During the 16th century, Zully Bey was a notable Ottoman statesman and military commander who served as the governor of several provinces in the Ottoman Empire. He played a significant role in the expansion and administration of Ottoman territories in the Balkans and the Middle East.
In the 18th century, Zully Khan was a prominent ruler of the Mughal Empire in India. He served as the governor of several provinces and was renowned for his patronage of the arts, literature, and architecture.
Another notable figure with the name Zully was Zully al-Kabir, a renowned Sufi mystic and spiritual teacher from Morocco in the 19th century. He was highly respected for his teachings on Islamic spirituality and his contributions to the Sufi tradition in North Africa.
While the name Zully has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has gained popularity and usage in various parts of the world, particularly in Latin American countries. However, it is important to note that the historical references and individuals mentioned here are specific to the use of Zully as a first name, and its origins and significance may vary in different cultural contexts.
People
Zully + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zully 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
Zully: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zully?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 721 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zully 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 475,387 US residents.
Is Zully a common name?
We classify Zully as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 745 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zully most popular?
The single biggest year for Zully was 2008, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zully is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zully a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zully 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.