Jaleeah
An inventive feminine name of uncertain origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 161 living Americans carry the first name Jaleeah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jaleeah today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jaleeah births was 2011 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jaleeah. 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
161
~ 1 in 2,128,909 Americans
Peak year
2011
19 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2022 SSA rank
#10,724
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Jaleeah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jaleeah 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 111 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jaleeah 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 Jaleeah 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 Jaleeah
The name Jaleeah is a unique and intriguing name with roots that can be traced back to various cultures and languages. Its origins are not entirely clear, but several theories and possibilities exist.
One theory suggests that Jaleeah is derived from the Arabic name Jalila, which means "noble" or "exalted." This theory is supported by the fact that many names with similar spellings and pronunciations can be found in various Arabic dialects and cultures across the Middle East and North Africa.
Another possibility is that Jaleeah has its roots in the Persian language, where the name Jaleh (or Jale) means "beautiful" or "shining." This connection could point to the name's origins in the Persian culture and its spread through trade routes and cultural exchanges throughout history.
A third theory links Jaleeah to the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language from the Indian subcontinent. In Sanskrit, the name Jalaja could mean "born of water" or "born from the waters," which could hold symbolic or spiritual significance in certain traditions.
While the name's exact origins remain uncertain, there are several historical references and notable individuals who have borne the name Jaleeah or its variations. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 12th century, when a Persian princess named Jaleh lived during the Seljuk Empire.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Jaleeah bint Nasser al-Khalifa was a prominent poet and scholar in Bahrain, known for her contributions to Arabic literature and her patronage of the arts.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, Jaleeah al-Saadawi was an Egyptian feminist and writer who played a significant role in advocating for women's rights and social reform in the Arab world.
In more recent history, Jaleeah Gilmour was a Canadian artist and sculptor active in the early 20th century, known for her innovative use of materials and her exploration of abstract forms.
Another notable individual with the name Jaleeah was Jaleeah Alnaqbi, a pioneering Emirati businesswoman and entrepreneur who made significant contributions to the development of the United Arab Emirates' economy in the latter half of the 20th century.
These examples showcase the diverse cultural backgrounds and historical periods in which the name Jaleeah has been present, each time carrying its own unique meaning and significance.
People
Jaleeah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jaleeah 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
Jaleeah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jaleeah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 161 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jaleeah 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 2,128,909 US residents.
Is Jaleeah a common name?
We classify Jaleeah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 162 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jaleeah most popular?
The single biggest year for Jaleeah was 2011, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jaleeah is about 12 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 Jaleeah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jaleeah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jaleeah 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 Jaleeah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jaleeah 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 Jaleeah 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 many people have the name Jaleeah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.