Nyjah
A feminine name of Arabic origin possibly meaning "star" or "journey".
Name Census estimates that about 1,411 living Americans carry the first name Nyjah. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 56.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Nyjah today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nyjah births was 2014 (88 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nyjah. 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
- • Nyjah was once a predominantly female name but has become increasingly popular for boys in recent decades.
- • Nyjah sits in rare territory as a truly gender-neutral name, given to boys and girls in near-equal numbers.
- • Nyjah is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 14 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.4K
~ 1 in 242,916 Americans
Peak year
2014
88 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,689
Tracked since 1991
Gender
Gender distribution for Nyjah
Nyjah is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,427 total registrations, 803 (56.3%) were male and 624 (43.7%) were female.
Nyjah as a male name
- Ranked #2,689 in 2024
- 49 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (73 births)
Nyjah as a female name
- Ranked #16,983 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2000 (43 births)
Popularity
Nyjah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nyjah 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 565 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Nyjah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nyjah 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 Nyjah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nyjahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Nyjah, while Washington, Georgia, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 40 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nyjah
The name Nyjah is a relatively modern invention, with its origins shrouded in mystery. It is believed to have been derived from a combination of existing names or words, rather than being rooted in a specific language or culture.
One theory suggests that Nyjah may have been inspired by the Arabic name Najah, which means "success" or "achievement." However, the spelling and pronunciation variations make it difficult to establish a direct connection. Another possibility is that it is a creative blend of the names Nadia and Jah, the latter being a shorthand for the Hebrew name of God, Yahweh.
Despite its uncertain etymology, the name Nyjah has gained popularity in recent decades, particularly in the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances of its use can be traced back to Nyjah Huston, an American professional skateboarder, who was born in 1994. His unique name helped to bring it into the public consciousness and likely contributed to its increasing adoption.
Throughout history, there are a few notable individuals who have borne the name Nyjah. One such person is Nyjah Selby, an American basketball player who played professionally in the Philippines and Croatia in the early 2000s. Another is Nyjah Amey, a former professional soccer player from Liberia, who played for various clubs in Africa and Europe in the late 20th century.
While not as widely documented, there are also a handful of other individuals named Nyjah who have left their mark in various fields. For example, Nyjah Thompson was a celebrated artist and sculptor from Jamaica, whose works were exhibited in several galleries across the Caribbean in the 1980s and 1990s. Nyjah Singh was a prominent activist and human rights advocate from India, who campaigned tirelessly for the rights of marginalized communities in the latter half of the 20th century.
Despite its relatively recent emergence and limited historical record, the name Nyjah has undoubtedly captured the imagination of many parents seeking a unique and distinctive name for their children. As its popularity continues to grow, it is likely that more individuals bearing this name will leave their mark on the world, further enriching its legacy.
People
Nyjah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nyjah 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
Nyjah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nyjah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,411 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nyjah 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 242,916 US residents.
Is Nyjah a common name?
We classify Nyjah as "Rare". It ranks above 92.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,427 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nyjah most popular?
The single biggest year for Nyjah was 2014, when 88 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nyjah is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nyjah a male name?
Yes, 56.3% of people registered as Nyjah in the SSA data are male. 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.