Zaleah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "blooming" or "fresh".
Name Census estimates that about 357 living Americans carry the first name Zaleah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zaleah today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zaleah births was 2021 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zaleah. 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
357
~ 1 in 960,096 Americans
Peak year
2021
27 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,587
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Zaleah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zaleah 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 197 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zaleah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zaleah 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 Zaleah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zaleahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Texas, Arizona, New York recorded the most babies named Zaleah, while New York, Arizona, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zaleah
The name Zaleah is a unique and intriguing one, with its roots stretching back to ancient times. This moniker is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, where it holds the meaning of "pure" or "chaste." Its earliest known usage can be traced back to the 7th century, during the rise of the Islamic civilization in the Middle East.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this name was Zaleah bint Umair, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in the city of Medina during the late 7th century. Her works, which explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human experience, were highly acclaimed and have left an indelible mark on Arabic literature.
In the 9th century, the name Zaleah gained further prominence with the birth of Zaleah al-Andalusi, a celebrated mathematician and astronomer from the Iberian Peninsula. Her contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy were groundbreaking, and she is widely regarded as one of the most influential scholars of her time.
Centuries later, in the 13th century, the name Zaleah was borne by Zaleah al-Qudsi, a revered Sufi mystic and spiritual leader from Syria. Her teachings and writings on the path of divine love and self-realization had a profound impact on the Sufi tradition and continue to inspire seekers of truth to this day.
Moving forward to the 16th century, we encounter Zaleah Begum, a powerful and influential figure in the Mughal Empire of India. As the wife of Emperor Akbar, she played a significant role in shaping the cultural and political landscape of the empire, earning her a place in the annals of Indian history.
In more recent times, the name Zaleah has been carried by Zaleah Shakir, a renowned American jazz singer and songwriter born in 1948. Her soulful voice and unique style have captivated audiences around the world, and she has left an indelible mark on the world of jazz music.
While the name Zaleah may not be as common as some other names, its rich history and the remarkable individuals who have borne it throughout the centuries have imbued it with a sense of depth and significance. From poets and scholars to spiritual leaders and influential figures, the name Zaleah has been a thread woven through the tapestry of human history, carrying with it the essence of purity and grace.
People
Zaleah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zaleah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zaleah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zaleah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 357 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zaleah 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 960,096 US residents.
Is Zaleah a common name?
We classify Zaleah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 360 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zaleah most popular?
The single biggest year for Zaleah was 2021, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zaleah is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zaleah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zaleah 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.