Jalayah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "noble" or "sublime."
Name Census estimates that about 2,107 living Americans carry the first name Jalayah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jalayah today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jalayah births was 2022 (155 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jalayah. 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
- • Jalayah is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 10 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
2.1K
~ 1 in 162,674 Americans
Peak year
2022
155 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,750
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Jalayah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jalayah from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 1,089 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Jalayah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jalayah 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 Jalayah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jalayahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 17 states and territories. Florida, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Jalayah, while Mississippi, Alabama, Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 74 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jalayah
The name Jalayah is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "jalal," which means "glory" or "majesty." It is believed to have originated in the Middle East during the medieval period, when Arabic culture and language were flourishing.
In its earliest form, the name was likely spelled "Jalaliah" or a similar variation. As it spread to different regions and languages, it underwent various phonetic changes, resulting in the modern spelling of "Jalayah."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the writings of the renowned Muslim scholar and philosopher Al-Ghazali, who lived from 1058 to 1111 CE. He mentioned a student named Jalayah in one of his treatises, suggesting that the name was in use during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Jalayah. One such person was Jalayah al-Basri, a prominent Sufi mystic who lived in the 9th century CE. She was known for her profound spiritual teachings and is revered in the Islamic mystical tradition.
In the 12th century, Jalayah bint al-Qadi was a renowned poet and scholar from Andalusia (modern-day Spain). Her poetic works were celebrated for their depth and eloquence, and she was highly regarded in the literary circles of her time.
During the Ottoman Empire, Jalayah Hatun was a influential figure in the 16th century. She was the daughter of Sultan Selim II and played a significant role in the political and cultural affairs of the empire.
Another notable bearer of the name was Jalayah al-Kindi, a distinguished mathematician and astronomer from the 9th century CE. She made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and was highly respected for her scholarly works.
While the name Jalayah has its roots in Arabic culture, it has since been adopted and used in various parts of the world. However, its historical ties to the Middle East and the Islamic tradition remain an integral part of its rich heritage and meaning.
People
Jalayah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jalayah 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
Jalayah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jalayah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,107 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jalayah 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 162,674 US residents.
Is Jalayah a common name?
We classify Jalayah as "Rare". It ranks above 93.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,124 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jalayah most popular?
The single biggest year for Jalayah was 2022, when 155 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jalayah is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jalayah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jalayah 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.