Kyliyah
The name Kyliyah is a feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "crown".
Name Census estimates that about 211 living Americans carry the first name Kyliyah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kyliyah today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kyliyah births was 2012 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kyliyah. 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
211
~ 1 in 1,624,428 Americans
Peak year
2012
19 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,786
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Kyliyah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kyliyah 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 108 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kyliyah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kyliyah 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 Kyliyah 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 Kyliyah
The name Kyliyah is believed to have originated from the Arabic language. It is a variation of the name Khaliya, which means "friend" or "sincere companion." The name's roots can be traced back to the Middle Eastern region and the Islamic culture that flourished during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Kyliyah can be found in the poetic works of the renowned Persian poet, Rumi, who lived in the 13th century. In his celebrated work, the Masnavi, Rumi makes mention of a character named Kyliyah, described as a wise and loyal friend.
During the Ottoman Empire, which spanned from the 14th to the 20th century, the name Kyliyah gained popularity among the ruling class and nobility. Historical records from this period indicate that several influential women bore the name, including Kyliyah Hatun, a prominent figure in the court of Sultan Mehmed II.
In the realm of literature, one of the most notable figures named Kyliyah was the 17th-century Turkish poet and mystic, Kyliyah Dihlavi. Her poetic works, which explored themes of spirituality and devotion, have been widely celebrated and studied by scholars of Islamic literature.
Another notable figure was Kyliyah bint Ahmad, a prominent scholar and author from the 9th century who made significant contributions to the fields of Islamic jurisprudence and theology. Her writings and teachings had a profound impact on the intellectual discourse of her time.
In the 20th century, Kyliyah Haqqi, an Egyptian novelist and playwright, gained widespread recognition for her works that explored social issues and the struggle for women's rights. Her novel "The Cairo Trilogy" is considered a masterpiece of modern Arabic literature.
While the name Kyliyah has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has transcended cultural boundaries and gained popularity in various parts of the world. Its rich history and profound meanings have made it a cherished choice for parents seeking a name with deep cultural significance and a connection to the past.
People
Kyliyah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kyliyah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kyliyah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kyliyah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 211 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kyliyah 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 1,624,428 US residents.
Is Kyliyah a common name?
We classify Kyliyah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 213 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kyliyah most popular?
The single biggest year for Kyliyah was 2012, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kyliyah 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 Kyliyah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kyliyah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kyliyah 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 Kyliyah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kyliyah 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 Kyliyah 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 Kyliyah?
See how many people have the name Kyliyah on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.