How to say it
a · ZAL · ya
/əˈzeɪl.jə/
Feminine
Azalea
The azalea flower
What it means
A flower name from the bright azalea shrub, whose own name comes from Greek azaleos, 'dry.'
Azalea is a botanical name from the flowering shrub, which botanists named from Greek azaleos, 'dry,' because it was thought to thrive in dry soil. It belongs to the showy flower-name set with Dahlia and Magnolia and reads bold and a little exotic. The rapper Iggy Azalea (a stage name) gave it a recent pop-culture hook. Aza and Lea make easy shorts.
Popularity over time
peaked at #278 in 2025, currently #278 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Aza and Lea both work as shorts.
- Pop culture
Rapper Iggy Azalea took the flower as a stage surname.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Azalea the vivid flowering shrub the name is taken from
Spelling variants
- Azaleah
- Azalia
Names with the same feeling
See Azalea from another angle
By meaning