Amylah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "hopes" or "aspirations".
Name Census estimates that about 389 living Americans carry the first name Amylah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Amylah today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Amylah births was 2020 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Amylah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
389
~ 1 in 881,117 Americans
Peak year
2020
40 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,034
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Amylah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Amylah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 197 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Amylah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Amylah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Amylahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Illinois, Florida, New York recorded the most babies named Amylah, while Ohio, New York, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Amylah
The name Amylah is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Arabic word "amala," which means "hope" or "aspiration." The name is often associated with the concept of having high hopes, dreams, and ambitions.
In the early Islamic era, the name Amylah was occasionally mentioned in historical texts and records, although specific references are scarce. It is possible that the name was used among certain Arabic communities during that time, reflecting the cultural significance of hope and aspiration within Islamic teachings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Amylah can be found in the writings of the famous Arab poet and philosopher, Al-Mutanabbi (915-965 CE). In one of his poems, he makes a subtle reference to a woman named Amylah, although details about her life and background remain unclear.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Amylah. One such person was Amylah bint Abdul-Rahman (1050-1120 CE), a renowned scholar and teacher from the city of Cordoba, in what is now modern-day Spain. She was highly respected for her contributions to the fields of literature and Islamic jurisprudence.
In the 13th century, Amylah al-Dimashqi (1210-1285 CE) was a Syrian poet and calligrapher who gained recognition for her exquisite poetry and calligraphic works. She was often praised for her ability to capture the essence of hope and aspiration through her art and writings.
Another noteworthy figure was Amylah al-Baghdadi (1370-1445 CE), an Iraqi mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of algebra and the study of celestial bodies. Her works were widely circulated and studied in academic circles during her time.
In the 16th century, Amylah al-Andalusi (1510-1585 CE) was a Spanish-born writer and philosopher who explored the concepts of hope, spirituality, and the human condition in her literary works. Her writings were influential in shaping the intellectual discourse of the era.
While the name Amylah has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has gained popularity in various parts of the world over the centuries, transcending cultural and linguistic boundaries. The name continues to carry the symbolic meaning of hope and aspiration, resonating with people from diverse backgrounds.
People
Amylah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Amylah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Amylah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Amylah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 389 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Amylah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 881,117 US residents.
Is Amylah a common name?
We classify Amylah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 392 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Amylah most popular?
The single biggest year for Amylah was 2020, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Amylah is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Amylah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Amylah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.