Suhayla
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "small, delicate" or "slender".
Name Census estimates that about 410 living Americans carry the first name Suhayla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Suhayla today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Suhayla births was 2022 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Suhayla. 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 Suhayla with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
410
~ 1 in 835,986 Americans
Peak year
2022
32 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,405
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Suhayla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Suhayla 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 229 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Suhayla remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Suhayla 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 Suhayla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Suhaylas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Ohio recorded the most babies named Suhayla, while Ohio, Minnesota, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 45 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Suhayla
The name Suhayla originates from the Arabic language and has its roots in the ancient Arabian culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "sahal," which means "easy" or "smooth." The name is believed to have been in use as early as the 7th century CE, during the rise of Islam in the Middle East.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Suhayla can be found in classical Arabic literature, where it was often used as a poetic term to describe the beautiful and bright star Sirius, also known as the "Dog Star." This association with celestial bodies likely contributed to the name's popularity among the Arabic-speaking people.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Suhayla. One of the earliest recorded figures was Suhayla bint al-Husayn (c. 650 CE), a renowned Arab poet and scholar who lived during the Umayyad Caliphate. Her works are considered significant contributions to early Islamic literature.
Another prominent figure was Suhayla al-Nuri (c. 1200 CE), a Syrian poet and scholar from Damascus. She was known for her mastery of various disciplines, including poetry, grammar, and Islamic jurisprudence.
In the 14th century, Suhayla al-Mausili (c. 1330 CE) was a celebrated Arab musician and singer from Mosul, Iraq. She is renowned for her contributions to the development of Arabic music and her influence on the musical traditions of the time.
Suhayla al-Kasrawi (1858-1936) was a pioneering woman from Syria who played a significant role in advocating for women's rights and education in the Middle East during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
More recently, Suhayla El-Attar (1920-2007) was an Egyptian actress and singer who achieved immense popularity in the mid-20th century. She was known for her versatile performances in various genres, including musicals, comedies, and dramas.
While the name Suhayla has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and gained popularity in various regions of the world, particularly among Muslim communities. The name's association with celestial bodies and its melodic sound have contributed to its enduring appeal across generations.
People
Suhayla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Suhayla 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
Suhayla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Suhayla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 410 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Suhayla 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 835,986 US residents.
Is Suhayla a common name?
We classify Suhayla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 413 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Suhayla most popular?
The single biggest year for Suhayla was 2022, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Suhayla 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 Suhayla in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Suhayla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Suhayla 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 Suhayla still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Suhayla 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 Suhayla 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 called Suhayla?
Find out how many Americans are named Suhayla on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.