Girls · #21 in 2025
Hazel: Meaning, Origin & Popularity
- Origin
- English botanical name
- Meaning
- Hazel tree; also the associated eye color
- Pronunciation
- HAY-zul
- Nickname options
- Haze
Origin and meaning
Hazel comes from the English name of the tree, rooted in Old English hæsel. The same word is used for a mixed brown-green eye color. Its nature connection is direct, rather than an inferred symbolic meaning.
U.S. popularity
Hazel ranked #21 for girls in the United States in 2025, with 6,318 girls given this spelling. Its highest recorded U.S. rank was #18, reached in 1897, 2023. Historical coverage: 1880–2025. Peak refers to rank, not the largest number of births.
Source: Social Security Administration; historical peaks calculated from its national name files. Rankings count each spelling separately within the listed sex.
The Hello Baby Names take
Hazel feels warm and grounded, with a lively Z tucked into an otherwise gentle sound. It is less frilly than many botanical names and has an appealing vintage texture. Parents who like nature names with a familiar first-name shape may love it.
Things to consider
Hazel works well without shortening. It's a familiar choice that shouldn't lead to pronounciation or spelling ambiguity.
If you love Hazel, consider…
- Violet: Adds a more floral and romantic mood.
- Ivy: Keeps the botanical link in a shorter form.
- Willow: Offers a softer woodland sound.
- Ruby: Shares the warmth and vintage energy.
- Nora: Keeps the understated feeling without nature imagery.
- Olive: Brings another earthy, compact option.
- Clara: Offers a clearer, more formal sound.
- Juniper: Turns up the playful woodland character.