Nialah
Meaning "success, triumph, victory" of Arabic origin.
Name Census estimates that about 172 living Americans carry the first name Nialah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nialah today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nialah births was 2011 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nialah. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Nialah with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
172
~ 1 in 1,992,758 Americans
Peak year
2011
15 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2022 SSA rank
#17,054
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Nialah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nialah 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 80 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
Nialah 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 Nialah 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 Nialah
The name Nialah is a relatively modern feminine given name with uncertain origins. It is believed to be a combination of the African names Nia and Alah, with Nia meaning "purpose" in Swahili and Alah being a variation of the Arabic name Allah, meaning "God." This suggests that the name Nialah may have Islamic or African roots.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Nialah can be traced back to the late 20th century in the United States. It gained popularity as a unique and exotic-sounding name for baby girls, particularly among African American families seeking to honor their cultural heritage.
While the name Nialah does not appear to have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its potential connections to African and Islamic cultures make it a name rich in cultural significance.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Nialah. One of the earliest recorded examples is Nialah Edari (born in 1978), an American actress and model known for her roles in films such as "Honey" and "The Wood."
Another prominent figure with the name Nialah is Nialah Lindsey (born in 1982), an American basketball player who played in the WNBA for teams like the Minnesota Lynx and the Detroit Shock.
In the world of music, Nialah Lindo (born in 1985) is a Jamaican singer and songwriter who has released several albums and singles, blending reggae and dancehall styles.
Another notable Nialah is Nialah Hartman (born in 1990), an American fashion designer and entrepreneur known for her sustainable and ethical clothing line.
Lastly, Nialah Garland (born in 1995) is a Canadian track and field athlete who has represented her country in international competitions, specializing in sprinting events.
These examples showcase the diversity of individuals who have carried the name Nialah throughout history, spanning various fields such as entertainment, sports, music, and entrepreneurship.
People
Nialah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nialah 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
Nialah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nialah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 172 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nialah 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 1,992,758 US residents.
Is Nialah a common name?
We classify Nialah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 174 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nialah most popular?
The single biggest year for Nialah was 2011, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nialah is about 17 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 Nialah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nialah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nialah 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 Nialah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nialah 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 Nialah 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 Nialah as a first name?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Nialah, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.