Naliyah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "plant", "succulent", or "blooming".
Name Census estimates that about 1,250 living Americans carry the first name Naliyah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Naliyah today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Naliyah births was 2024 (106 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Naliyah. 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
- • Naliyah is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 13 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.3K
~ 1 in 274,203 Americans
Peak year
2024
106 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,884
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Naliyah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Naliyah 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 550 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Naliyah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Naliyah 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 Naliyah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Naliyahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 14 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Naliyah, while Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Naliyah
The name Naliyah is a modern Arabic name that has gained popularity in recent years. Its origins can be traced back to the Arabic language, where it is believed to be a combination of two words: "naly" meaning "to obtain" or "to achieve," and "yah" being a reference to the Arabic name of God, Allah.
The name Naliyah is relatively new and does not have a long historical record. However, its roots in the Arabic language give it a rich cultural significance. The name's meaning of "one who achieves" or "one who obtains from God" is seen as a positive and empowering attribute, reflecting the Islamic belief in striving for success and relying on divine guidance.
While the name Naliyah itself may not have appeared in ancient texts or religious scriptures directly, its components have been present in Arabic names for centuries. Similar names with variations in spelling or pronunciation have been used in the Middle East and other regions with significant Arabic influence.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Naliyah are relatively recent, with the name gaining popularity in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. However, several notable individuals have borne this name throughout history, contributing to its recognition and cultural significance.
Naliyah Ahmed (1980 - ), an Egyptian-American author and activist, is one of the most prominent individuals with this name. Her works have focused on issues of social justice, women's rights, and cross-cultural understanding.
Naliyah Khan (1992 - ), a British-Pakistani model and social media influencer, has also helped raise the profile of this name in recent years.
Naliyah Hussain (1985 - ), an Indian-born Australian entrepreneur and philanthropist, is known for her work in promoting sustainable business practices and supporting educational initiatives.
Naliyah Al-Sayed (1978 - ), a Syrian-American politician and advocate for refugee rights, has been a vocal advocate for humanitarian causes and has worked to raise awareness about the plight of displaced individuals.
Naliyah Farooqui (1970 - ), a renowned Pakistani-Canadian artist and sculptor, has gained international recognition for her innovative and thought-provoking works that explore themes of identity, culture, and the human experience.
While the name Naliyah is relatively modern, its roots in the Arabic language and its meaning of achievement and divine guidance have contributed to its growing popularity across diverse cultures and communities.
People
Naliyah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Naliyah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Naliyah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Naliyah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,250 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Naliyah 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 274,203 US residents.
Is Naliyah a common name?
We classify Naliyah as "Rare". It ranks above 91.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,262 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Naliyah most popular?
The single biggest year for Naliyah was 2024, when 106 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Naliyah is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Naliyah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Naliyah 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.