Jailah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "beautiful woman".
Name Census estimates that about 1,220 living Americans carry the first name Jailah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jailah today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jailah births was 2011 (72 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jailah. 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.
Key insights
- • Jailah is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 16 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 280,946 Americans
Peak year
2011
72 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,338
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Jailah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jailah 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 518 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
Jailah 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 Jailah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jailahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Texas, Florida, California recorded the most babies named Jailah, while New York, Maryland, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jailah
The name Jailah is a beautiful and unique name with roots in various cultures and languages. Its origins can be traced back to Arabic, where it is derived from the word "jala," meaning "glory" or "splendor." In this sense, the name Jailah carries a powerful meaning associated with radiance, beauty, and majesty.
Another possible origin of the name Jailah is from the Hebrew language, where it is believed to be a variation of the name "Jalah," meaning "to ascend" or "to rise up." This connection suggests a spiritual connotation, signifying elevation, growth, and transcendence.
While the name Jailah is not widely documented in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been recorded throughout history in various cultures and regions. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the medieval Islamic world, where it was used as a feminine name, often bestowed upon daughters born into noble or influential families.
Among the notable historical figures who bore the name Jailah is Jailah Al-Andalusiyyah, a renowned 12th-century poet and scholar from Al-Andalus (modern-day Spain). Her works were celebrated for their depth and elegance, and she was widely regarded as a pioneer in the field of Andalusian poetry.
Another prominent figure was Jailah bint Abi Nasr, a 10th-century Arab mathematician and astronomer from Baghdad. She made significant contributions to the development of trigonometry and is credited with writing one of the earliest known works on the subject.
In the 14th century, Jailah Al-Qurtubiyyah, a skilled calligrapher and illuminator from Cordoba, Spain, gained recognition for her exquisite works adorning manuscripts and religious texts. Her intricate and beautiful calligraphy was highly sought after by patrons and collectors alike.
Moving forward in time, Jailah Al-Khawajah was a 17th-century Ottoman courtier and poet who served under Sultan Murad IV. Her poetry, often revolving around themes of love and longing, was widely admired and preserved in various literary anthologies of the era.
Lastly, in the 19th century, Jailah Al-Shushtari was a Persian poet and mystic known for her spiritual and mystical verses. Her works explored the depths of the human experience and the pursuit of divine knowledge, earning her a place among the revered poets of her time.
While these are just a few examples, the name Jailah has been carried by numerous individuals throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural heritage.
People
Jailah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jailah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jailah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jailah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,220 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jailah 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 280,946 US residents.
Is Jailah a common name?
We classify Jailah as "Rare". It ranks above 91.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,234 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jailah most popular?
The single biggest year for Jailah was 2011, when 72 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jailah is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jailah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jailah 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.