Neriyah
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "God's light" or "radiant."
Name Census estimates that about 309 living Americans carry the first name Neriyah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Neriyah today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Neriyah births was 2024 (46 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Neriyah. 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
309
~ 1 in 1,109,237 Americans
Peak year
2024
46 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,425
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Neriyah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Neriyah 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 146 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Neriyah 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 Neriyah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Neriyahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Georgia, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Neriyah, while Florida, Texas, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Neriyah
The name Neriyah originates from Hebrew, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "ner," meaning "lamp" or "light," and the suffix "-yah," which refers to God. Thus, the name Neriyah can be interpreted as "light of God" or "God's lamp."
In the Biblical context, the name Neriyah is mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah, where it is the name of one of the sons of Maaseiah, a priest during the reign of King Zedekiah in the 6th century BCE. This reference suggests that the name was in use among the Israelites during the ancient period.
While the name Neriyah may not have been widely popular throughout history, it has been carried by a few notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded examples is Neriyah ben Menachem, a 12th-century Jewish scholar and rabbi from Provence, France.
Another notable figure with the name Neriyah was Neriyah Zion, an Israeli poet and writer who lived from 1919 to 1994. He was a prominent figure in the Hebrew literary scene and was known for his works that explored themes of Israeli identity and the Jewish experience.
In more recent times, Neriyah Gurevitch is an Israeli-American writer and filmmaker. Born in 1977, she has directed several documentary films and written books exploring issues of identity, culture, and social justice.
Neriyah Arieli was an Israeli basketball player who played for the Israeli national team and several professional clubs in the late 20th century. He was born in 1956 and had a successful career in the sport.
Neriyah Tova Markovitz, born in 1935, was an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) from 1981 to 1992, representing the Alignment party.
While not a common name in modern times, Neriyah has a rich historical background rooted in ancient Hebrew tradition, with a meaning that symbolizes divine light and guidance. Its appearances throughout history, though limited, have been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields.
People
Neriyah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Neriyah 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
Neriyah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Neriyah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 309 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Neriyah 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 1,109,237 US residents.
Is Neriyah a common name?
We classify Neriyah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 311 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Neriyah most popular?
The single biggest year for Neriyah was 2024, when 46 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Neriyah is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Neriyah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Neriyah 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.