Naylah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "successful" or "prosperous".
Name Census estimates that about 629 living Americans carry the first name Naylah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Naylah today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Naylah births was 2016 (49 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Naylah. 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
629
~ 1 in 544,919 Americans
Peak year
2016
49 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,842
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Naylah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Naylah 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 354 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Naylah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Naylah 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 Naylah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Naylahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Naylah, while Massachusetts, New York, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 32 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Naylah
The given name Naylah originates from the Arabic language and culture. It is a feminine name derived from the Arabic root word "na'il," which means "gain" or "attainment." The name likely emerged during the early centuries of Islamic civilization in the Middle East and North Africa.
Naylah's Arabic roots can be traced back to ancient texts and manuscripts from the 7th century onward. While the name itself is not found in religious scriptures like the Quran, its linguistic components are deeply rooted in the Arabic language and Islamic tradition.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Naylah can be found in a 9th-century manuscript from Baghdad, which mentions a woman named Naylah bint Abdallah, a respected scholar and poet of her time. Another notable historical figure bearing this name was Naylah al-Baghdadiyah, a renowned 11th-century calligrapher and artist from the city of Baghdad.
In the 13th century, a prominent Sufi mystic and spiritual leader, Naylah al-Dimashqi, gained recognition for her teachings and influence in the region of Damascus. Her writings and teachings were widely circulated and studied within Sufi circles.
During the Ottoman Empire's reign in the 16th century, Naylah Khanum, a powerful and influential figure in the imperial court, played a significant role in shaping the political and cultural landscape of the empire.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, Naylah al-Misriyah was a celebrated Egyptian writer and feminist activist who fought for women's rights and education in her country.
Throughout its long history, the name Naylah has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, spiritual leaders, and influential figures in the realms of politics and culture.
People
Naylah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Naylah 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
Naylah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Naylah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 629 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Naylah 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 544,919 US residents.
Is Naylah a common name?
We classify Naylah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 634 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Naylah most popular?
The single biggest year for Naylah was 2016, when 49 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Naylah is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Naylah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Naylah 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.