Fun Facts About the Name Mazel
- 397 babies named Mazel: U.S. records list 397 babies given the name Mazel from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Mazel Mean?
Mazel is a Jewish given name meaning "luck" or "fortune." It comes from Hebrew mazal (מַזָּל), a word whose older sense is "star" or "constellation" and whose later sense is "fate," "destiny," or "luck." The same word entered Yiddish as mazel, the form behind the congratulatory phrase mazel tov - literally "good luck," though in use it means "congratulations."
The literal astronomical sense is older; the sense "luck" or "fortune" developed from the idea of a star or planet governing one's destiny. As a name, Mazel is usually a variant of Hebrew Mazal (מַזָּל), reflecting Yiddish pronunciation and spelling. It is not a different name with a separate etymology. The deeper origin of Hebrew mazal is uncertain; it has been compared with Akkadian manzaltu, "station, position," especially the station of a star, but that connection is not settled.
Mazel Name History & Origins
The Hebrew word mazal is attested in the Bible in its plural form mazzalot (מַזָּלוֹת) in 2 Kings 23:5, where it is translated "planets" or "constellations." It is a common noun there, not a personal name. In rabbinic literature the word can mean a planet, a constellation, or the fate associated with it; the Talmudic phrase ein mazal l'Yisrael ("Israel has no mazal") rejects the idea that the Jewish people are controlled by astrological fate.
From Hebrew the word passed into Yiddish as mazel, where it means "luck" or "fortune." The phrase mazel tov became a standard Yiddish and later English congratulation. In Yiddish-speaking Ashkenazi communities, Mazel was used as a female given name, expressing a wish for good fortune. The Hebrew form Mazal is used as a given name in Israel and among Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews; Mazel is the Yiddish-influenced spelling of the same name. In English transliteration, both Mazel and Mazal occur, with Mazel reflecting the Yiddish pronunciation and Mazal the Hebrew.
How Popular is the Name Mazel?
Mazel 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 1923. Its best rank was #1,547 in 1923.
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 | #14,336 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1948 | #4,487 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1947 | #3,924 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1944 | #5,036 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1942 | #4,472 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1941 | #3,841 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1940 | #3,414 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1939 | #4,105 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1938 | #4,180 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1937 | #4,111 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1936 | #2,477 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1935 | #3,642 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1934 | #3,082 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1933 | #4,647 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1932 | #3,478 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1931 | #2,912 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1930 | #2,643 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1929 | #1,803 | 21 | 0.0019% |
| 1928 | #2,348 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1927 | #3,213 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1926 | #2,824 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1925 | #2,352 | 16 | 0.0013% |
| 1924 | #2,480 | 15 | 0.0012% |
| 1923 | #1,547 | 29 | 0.0024% |
| 1922 | #2,160 | 18 | 0.0015% |
| 1921 | #1,905 | 22 | 0.0018% |
| 1920 | #2,432 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1919 | #1,964 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1918 | #2,623 | 13 | 0.0011% |
| 1917 | #2,812 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1916 | #2,197 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1915 | #2,210 | 14 | 0.0014% |
| 1914 | #3,073 | 7 | 0.0009% |
| 1913 | #2,470 | 8 | 0.0013% |
| 1912 | #2,286 | 8 | 0.0014% |
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 Mazel Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Mazel's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mazel's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.