Hazel

Hazel is an Old English name derived from hæsel, the word for the hazel tree and its nuts, itself related to Proto-Germanic haslaz. The hazel held symbolic significance in Celtic and Germanic traditions, associated with wisdom, fertility, and divination, which lent the name a certain poetic resonance when it was adopted as a personal name in the nineteenth century. Its use as a given name for girls rose notably in the English-speaking world during the Victorian era, partly driven by the broader fashion for nature-inspired names. Closely related forms include the Scottish and Irish name Coll, which also derives from the hazel tree, and the name shares conceptual kinship with Corylus, the plant's Latin genus name.