Hazel: meaning and UK use

What does Hazel mean?

Hazel can refer to the tree or the brownish colour. The word's history is traced to Old English hæsel.

Language or name family covered

English tree and colour word

Meaning or derivation

The hazel tree or hazel colour

Our browsing group

girl; vintage, nature

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Hazel

Pronunciation and related forms

HAY-zuhl (English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

No variants or nicknames have been verified for this entry. A family nickname does not need to be an established dictionary form.

How popular is Hazel?

In 2025, 638 baby girls in England and Wales were registered as Hazel, making it the 71st most popular girls’ name. That is up 4 places on 2024, when it ranked 75th. Ten years earlier, in 2015, it ranked 219th, so it has climbed 148 places in a decade. 2025 is its highest ranking in the ONS series, which starts in 1996. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (girls)

71st

2025 registrations

638

Best rank in this series

71st (2025)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Hazel: rank and number of baby girls by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	71	638
2024	75	629
2023	90	527
2022	108	463
2021	147	350
2020	153	326
2019	148	343
2018	179	293
2017	195	271
2016	207	255
2015	219	238
2014	252	194
2013	318	147
2012	308	156
2011	362	131
2010	380	120
2009	398	106
2008	388	113
2007	335	130
2006	328	132
2005	292	144
2004	406	91
2003	369	100
2002	469	66
2001	399	79
2000	349	96
1999	370	87
1998	312	115
1997	316	111
1996	266	141

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 girls series is 6,592. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Hazel

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Daisyvintage, nature · The daisy flower
• Irisvintage, nature · Rainbow
• Ivyvintage, nature · The ivy plant
• Rosievintage, nature · A short form of Rose
• Adavintage · From an element meaning noble
• Beatricevintage · A form of Beatrix

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Hazel, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.