NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Zillah

A feminine name derived from Hebrew meaning "shade" or "shadow".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Zillah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Zillah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5891, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 3 births.

This profile covers 12 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 12 living people in the UK are called Zillah. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Zillah ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1997, when 3 girls were registered as Zillah.
  • About 12 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zillah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5891

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

1997

3 births

Estimated living

12

2026

Meaning

What does Zillah mean?

The name Zillah is of Hebrew origin, derived from the Biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis. It is believed to have emerged during ancient times in the Middle East.

The name Zillah is associated with the Hebrew word "tsilah," which means "shadow" or "shade." In the Book of Genesis, Zillah is mentioned as one of the wives of Lamech, a descendant of Cain, and the mother of Tubal-Cain and Naamah.

The first recorded instance of the name Zillah is found in the Book of Genesis, which is believed to have been written between the 15th and 13th centuries BCE. This ancient text is considered a significant part of the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Zillah. One of the earliest recorded figures was Zillah bat Adonia, a prominent Jewish scholar and poet who lived in the 13th century CE in Spain. She is known for her writings on religious and philosophical topics.

Another notable Zillah was Zillah Bateman (1823-1888), an English stage actress and writer who gained fame for her performances in Shakespearean plays and her published works on the theater.

In the United States, Zillah Denison Eisenberg (1862-1946) was a prominent social worker and advocate for women's rights. She founded the Daughters of Zion organization and worked tirelessly to support Jewish immigrants and promote education.

Zillah MacDonald (1858-1915) was a Canadian artist and painter known for her landscape and portrait works, which captured the beauty of the Canadian wilderness and its people.

In more recent times, Zillah Baingana (born 1966) is a Ugandan writer and author, celebrated for her short stories and novels that explore themes of identity, culture, and the complexities of modern African life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Zillah over time

The chart below shows babies named Zillah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Zillah, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 3 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Zillah
01223199720102024

Decades

Zillah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zillah was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #5789 6 2
2010s #5765 3 1
1990s #3824 3 1

Related

Names similar to Zillah

FAQ

Zillah: questions and answers

How popular is the name Zillah in the UK right now?

In 2024, Zillah was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Zillah most popular?

The peak year on record was 1997, with 3 babies registered as Zillah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Zillah?

A feminine name derived from Hebrew meaning "shade" or "shadow".

How many people are called Zillah in the UK?

A total of 12 babies have been registered as Zillah across the 4 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.