Meaning and Origin of the Name Hazel
The name Hazel is a form Haesel the Old English name for the Hazel tree. It was popular in the British Isles from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries and seemed to be part of a fad at that time for nature based names. It may refer to the small tree from which the Hazelnut comes from or the colour, a brownish green when referring to eyes or an amber hue otherwise. A branch of Hazel used to stand for dominion and safety, in fact the name in Germanic countries means “commander.” It could also be derived from the Hebrew Hazel meaning “God sees” and masons use it to refer to freestone.
Popularity the Name
The name Hazel does not appear in the list of 100 most popular baby girl’s names in England in 2012 (Office of National Statistics) and therefore would be ideal for parents looking for more unusual names.
People Called Hazel
Some famous bearers of the Hazel name are: the English model and actress Hazel Keech, Hazel Irvine a television presenter from Scotland, the character Hazelle (a variant of Hazel) from The Hunger Games and Hazel Court the British B-movie actress. Hazel Blears is a Labour member of Parliament for Salford in England.
Useful Resources
- Our comprehensive list of English girls’ names.
- See the most popular English baby girls names.
