Chariah
An Arabic name meaning "divine singer" or "singer of praise".
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the first name Chariah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Chariah today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chariah births was 2009 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chariah. 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
110
~ 1 in 3,115,949 Americans
Peak year
2009
11 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,832
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Chariah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chariah from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 61 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chariah 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 Chariah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chariah
The name Chariah is a unique and rare name with a rich history and diverse cultural influences. Its origins can be traced back to ancient times, with roots in both the Aramaic and Hebrew languages.
One theory suggests that Chariah is derived from the Aramaic word "chara," which means "to rejoice" or "to be happy." This connection to joy and celebration may have contributed to the name's adoption and use throughout the ages.
Another possible origin is the Hebrew word "chariah," which translates to "pierced" or "wounded." This interpretation could relate to religious or spiritual symbolism, perhaps referencing the idea of sacrifice or suffering for a greater purpose.
While the exact origins remain uncertain, the name Chariah has been documented in various historical texts and records, indicating its use across different cultures and time periods.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chariah can be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of ancient Jewish religious manuscripts dating back to the third century BCE. This suggests that the name may have been in use among certain Jewish communities during that time.
In the Middle Ages, a notable figure bearing the name Chariah was Chariah ben Ephraim, a renowned Jewish scholar and philosopher from the 12th century. Born in Fez, Morocco, he is remembered for his contributions to the study of Jewish law and ethics.
During the Renaissance period, a woman named Chariah de' Medici was a prominent figure in the influential Medici family of Florence, Italy. Born in 1455, she was known for her patronage of the arts and her role in shaping the cultural and political landscape of the time.
In more recent history, Chariah Chavez was a Mexican-American activist and labor leader who played a pivotal role in the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Born in 1927, she dedicated her life to advocating for the rights of farm workers and promoting social justice.
Another notable figure was Chariah Khalil, an Egyptian writer and poet who lived from 1892 to 1964. Her works often explored themes of love, freedom, and the struggles of women in traditional societies, making her a influential voice in Arabic literature.
While relatively uncommon, the name Chariah has persisted throughout history, carrying with it a rich tapestry of cultural and linguistic influences. Its unique sound and intriguing origins have likely contributed to its enduring appeal, despite its rarity.
People
Chariah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chariah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chariah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chariah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 110 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chariah 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 3,115,949 US residents.
Is Chariah a common name?
We classify Chariah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 112 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chariah most popular?
The single biggest year for Chariah was 2009, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chariah is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Chariah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Chariah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chariah 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.
Is Chariah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Chariah in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Chariah can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Chariah?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.