Zell is a unique and distinctive given name of German origin. It is derived from the Germanic word "zello," which means "war" or "battle." The name Zell is also associated with the town of Zell am See, located in the Austrian Alps.
The name Zell was popularized by the famous Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung. He named his only child, a daughter born in 1904, Zellwenger Jung. Despite its German roots and Swiss connection, Zell has also been used as a given name in other European countries and even beyond.
Throughout history, the name Zell has been associated with notable individuals aside from Carl Gustav Jung's daughter. For instance, Zell Miller was an American politician who served as the Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1993, and Zell Lurie Kemper Scudder III is a billionaire investor known for co-founding the hedge fund Scudder Stevens & Clark.
Today, Zell remains a rare but captivating given name. It has a strong, somewhat masculine connotation due to its meaning and origin, yet it can also be given to girls as demonstrated by Carl Gustav Jung's daughter. Overall, Zell is a unique choice for parents looking for a distinctive name with historical significance and a powerful meaning.
The name Zell has been given to a total of 213 babies born in the United States since 1914, as per the statistics provided. While the number of births varied yearly, it's clear that there have been several peaks and troughs over time.
In the early years, from 1914 to 1929, the name Zell was given to between 5 to 9 babies each year, with a slight increase in popularity towards the end of this period. However, it's worth noting that there were no births recorded for some years during this time.
There was then a significant gap in the data from 1934 to 1941 before the name started to gain some traction again in the mid-20th century. From 1946 onwards, the number of babies named Zell remained relatively stable at around 5 births per year, with a few exceptions such as 6 births in both 1942 and 1943.
Interestingly, there was another spike in popularity for the name Zell in recent years. After remaining consistently low throughout most of the late 20th century and early 21st century (with only 5 births recorded per year from 1980 to 2011), the number of babies named Zell suddenly jumped to 10 in 2013. This peak was followed by another increase to 9 births in 2015, before stabilizing again at around 5 births per year from 2018 onwards.
Overall, while the popularity of the name Zell has fluctuated over time, it has consistently been a relatively uncommon choice among parents in the United States. Despite this, there have been several notable peaks and troughs in its usage throughout history, with the most recent occurring just a few years ago.