Nyalah
An English feminine name derived from the Arabic word "nayala" meaning "successful one".
Name Census estimates that about 67 living Americans carry the first name Nyalah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nyalah today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nyalah births was 2023 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nyalah. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nyalah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
67
~ 1 in 5,115,736 Americans
Peak year
2023
9 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,063
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Nyalah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nyalah 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 31 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Nyalah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nyalah 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 Nyalah 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 Nyalah
The given name Nyalah has its origins tracing back to ancient African cultures and languages. It is believed to have emerged from the Bantu linguistic group, which encompasses a vast range of languages spoken across Central, Southern, and Eastern Africa.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nyalah can be found in the oral traditions and folklore of the Kikuyu people, an ethnic group native to present-day Kenya. In their legends, Nyalah was a revered figure, often associated with wisdom, resilience, and a deep connection to nature.
As time passed, the name Nyalah gradually spread beyond its original region, carried by the movement of people and cultural exchange. In the 12th century, a notable figure named Nyalah ibn Khalid al-Sudani appears in historical records as a prominent scholar and philosopher from the Nubian region, now part of modern-day Sudan.
During the 16th century, a woman named Nyalah Bint Amina gained recognition as a skilled weaver and artisan in the kingdom of Kongo, located in present-day Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her intricate textile designs were highly sought after and celebrated for their intricate patterns and vibrant colors.
In the 19th century, a renowned warrior and leader from the Zulu nation, Nyalah kaSenzangakhona, played a pivotal role in the region's history. Her strategic prowess and unwavering determination inspired many, and her name became a symbol of strength and resilience among her people.
Another notable individual bearing the name Nyalah was a revered healer and midwife from the Maasai community in East Africa, who lived during the latter half of the 19th century. Her extensive knowledge of traditional medicine and her compassionate care earned her great respect among her peers and the communities she served.
While the name Nyalah has deep roots in African cultures, its meaning and significance have evolved over time. Today, it continues to be cherished as a name that reflects strength, wisdom, and a connection to one's cultural heritage.
People
Nyalah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nyalah 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
Nyalah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nyalah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 67 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nyalah 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 5,115,736 US residents.
Is Nyalah a common name?
We classify Nyalah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 58.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 68 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nyalah most popular?
The single biggest year for Nyalah was 2023, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nyalah is about 10 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 Nyalah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nyalah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nyalah 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 Nyalah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nyalah 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 Nyalah 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 are named Nyalah?
Want to know how many Americans are named Nyalah? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.