Aaliyah
Aaliyah is a female given name with origins in Hebrew that became popular in Arabic, making it a common given name for girls born to Muslim families. In 2007, an increase in usage was attributed to the fame of the American pop singer Aaliyah (1979–2001).
Meaning & Origin of Aaliyah
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Aaliyah is a female given name with origins in Hebrew that became popular in Arabic, making it a common given name for girls born to Muslim families. In 2007, an increase in usage was attributed to the fame of the American pop singer Aaliyah (1979–2001).
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Aaliyah
Aaliyah first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1976, with 18 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2012, when 5,522 Aaliyahs were born — ranking #36 that year. As of 2026, Aaliyah ranks #103 for baby girls with 2,503 births, falling sharply (-26%). In total, more than 112K Aaliyahs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Aaliyah
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Aaliyah Alleyne (born 1994), Caribbean cricketer
- Aaliyah Brown (born 1995), American sprinter
- Aaliyah Chavez (born 2006), American basketball player
- Aaliyah Edwards (born 2002), Canadian basketball player
- Aaliyah Fasavalu-Fa'amausili (born 2000), Australian rugby league footballer
- Aaliyah Haughton or mononymously Aaliyah (1979–2001), American singer/actress
- Aaliyah Nolan (born 1997), Bermudian footballer
- Aaliyah Nye (born 2002), American basketball player
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Where is Aaliyah most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- United States35%
- Singapore19%
- France18%
- MU14%
- JM14%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Aaliyah
Phonetically similar names — useful when Aaliyah is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Aaliyah
What does the name Aaliyah mean?
How popular is Aaliyah in 2026?
When was Aaliyah most popular?
In which U.S. states is Aaliyah most popular?
Is Aaliyah a unisex name?
What names go well with Aaliyah?
About the name Aaliyah
Aaliyah is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1976 and has accumulated 112K births in the dataset. Aaliyah's peak popularity came in 2012 when it ranked #36. Use the chart and map above to compare Aaliyah's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2012 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.