A spelling variant of Azalea, the flower name derived through Greek botanical terminology.
Azelea is a variant spelling of Azalea, the floral name derived from the Greek azaleos, meaning "dry" — a reference to the plant's preference for well-drained soils, though the name has long outgrown that dry etymological beginning. The azalea flower itself has a rich cultural history: in Chinese culture it is called the "thinking of home bush" (sixiang shu) and is a symbol of womanhood, temperance, and the beauty found in fragility. In Japan, azalea festivals have been celebrated for centuries.
In the American South, where azaleas bloom in extravagant color each spring, they have become near-synonymous with Southern femininity and the drama of the season. As a given name, Azalea (and its variant Azelea) belongs to the tradition of botanical feminine names that surged in the Victorian era alongside Violet, Iris, Lily, and Hazel. The Victorian language of flowers assigned the azalea meanings of fragile passion and temperance, making it a name that carried both warmth and a kind of elegant restraint.
In the 20th century the name rested quietly, but it has returned in the 21st century, partly carried by the celebrity of the Australian rapper Iggy Azalea, born Amethyst Kelly, who adopted the stage name in reference to the street she grew up on. The spelling Azelea softens the name visually, lending it a slightly more handcrafted quality — the kind of deliberate orthographic choice that transforms a floral word into a personal name. It retains every bit of the flower's beauty while signaling that this name was chosen with particular care.