Zuleima is a unique and distinctive given name of Spanish origin. It is derived from the Arabic name Zulaykha, which means "shadow" or "darkness". The name Zulaykha has significant historical roots as it was the name of a wife of Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) in Islamic tradition.
In Spanish culture, Zuleima became popularized through the 18th-century play "Zulima y Zoomor," written by Spanish playwright Luis de Ulloa. The play tells the story of Zulima, a princess from an imaginary Moorish kingdom, and Zoomor, her lover who is eventually revealed to be her brother.
Despite its unique sound and historical significance, Zuleima remains relatively rare as a given name. However, it continues to be used in Spanish-speaking countries and among those seeking distinctive names with deep cultural roots.
Based on the statistics provided, the name Zuleima has seen a varied trend of popularity in the United States over the past four decades. The years with the highest number of births were 1994 and 1992, with 61 and 44 births respectively. This suggests that during these years, Zuleima was quite popular as a baby girl's name.
However, the popularity of the name has fluctuated significantly over time. For instance, in 1984 there were only 7 births, while in 1990 there were 40. After reaching its peak in 1994, the number of births with the name Zuleima began to decrease steadily until it reached a low point in 2021 with only 6 births.
Despite these fluctuations, the overall total number of births for the name Zuleima in the United States is 700. This indicates that while the popularity of the name may have varied over time, it has still been chosen consistently as a girl's name throughout the years.