Fun Facts About the Name Azelea
- 125 babies named Azelea: U.S. records list 125 babies given the name Azelea from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Azelea Mean?
Azelea is a variant spelling of Azalea, the name of the flowering shrub. The plant name comes from New Latin Azalea, which is based on Greek azaleos, meaning "dry." The Greek word describes a parched or dry quality, and botanists applied it to the shrub because of its preference for dry, well-drained soil. The literal sense of the root is therefore "dry," while the customary understanding of the name today is simply the flower itself.
Azelea Name History & Origins
Azalea is a flowering shrub native to parts of Asia and North America. Its modern botanical name was established in the eighteenth century, when the genus Azalea was named from the Greek word for "dry"; the genus was later merged into Rhododendron, though the older name survived in everyday use for the plant.
English speakers had long drawn given names from plants and flowers - Rose, Violet, Daisy, Lily - and azalea joined that group as a girl's name, used mainly in the United States. The spelling Azelea substitutes an e for the second a of Azalea while keeping the same pronunciation. It is a less common form, and its use is best understood as part of the wider tradition of flower names rather than as a separate name with its own lineage.
How Popular is the Name Azelea?
Azelea has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2016. Its best rank was #8,103 in 2022.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,536 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #10,360 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #12,339 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #8,103 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2021 | #12,398 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #12,332 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #15,882 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #9,245 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #14,394 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #8,469 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #16,832 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #16,934 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #13,380 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #11,575 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #16,109 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #13,735 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Azelea Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Azelea's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Azelea's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.