NameCensus.
Very Rare

Salayah

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "glorified" or "exalted".

Name Census estimates that about 183 living Americans carry the first name Salayah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Salayah today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Salayah births was 2024 (26 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Salayah. 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

183

~ 1 in 1,872,975 Americans

Peak year

2024

26 babies that year

Average age

9

years old

2024 SSA rank

#5,108

Tracked since 2005

Popularity

Salayah: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Salayah 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 86 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

071320262005201020152020

Decades

Salayah 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 Salayah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
2000s02626
2010s08686
2020s07272

Origin

Meaning and history of Salayah

The name Salayah is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Eastern region. It is derived from the Arabic word "salah," which means "prayer" or "supplication." The name is thought to have first emerged during the early Islamic period, around the 7th century CE.

One of the earliest known historical references to the name Salayah can be found in ancient Islamic texts and manuscripts. These texts often mentioned individuals with this name, suggesting its use among the early Muslim community. The name's close association with the concept of prayer and devotion in Islamic tradition likely contributed to its popularity.

The earliest recorded examples of individuals bearing the name Salayah date back to the 8th century CE. One notable figure was Salayah bint Malik al-Qurashi, a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist who lived in Medina during the Abbasid Caliphate. She was highly respected for her knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and is considered one of the earliest female scholars in Islamic history.

Another individual of historical significance was Salayah al-Misri, a 10th-century Egyptian mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and wrote several treatises on the subject. His works were widely studied and influential in the Islamic world during his time.

In the 12th century, there was Salayah al-Dimashqi, a Syrian poet and writer known for his eloquent prose and poetry. His works were celebrated for their intricate language and beautiful imagery, and he was considered one of the most talented literary figures of his era.

Moving forward to the 14th century, Salayah al-Andalusi was a renowned Andalusian scholar and philosopher. He was born in Granada, Spain, and was part of the vibrant intellectual community that flourished during the Islamic Golden Age in Andalusia. His writings on philosophy, logic, and metaphysics were highly regarded and studied throughout the Islamic world.

Another notable figure was Salayah al-Baghdadi, a 16th-century Iraqi calligrapher and artist. He was celebrated for his exceptional calligraphic skills and his beautiful works of art, which adorned many mosques and palaces of the time. His calligraphic pieces were highly sought after and are considered masterpieces of Islamic art.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Salayah, highlighting its rich cultural and historical significance within the Middle Eastern and Islamic traditions.

People

Salayah + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Salayah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Related

Other names starting with S

Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.

FAQ

Salayah: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Salayah?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 183 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Salayah 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 1,872,975 US residents.

Is Salayah a common name?

We classify Salayah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 184 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Salayah most popular?

The single biggest year for Salayah was 2024, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Salayah is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Salayah a female name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Salayah 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.

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Salayah

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