Fun Facts About the Name Aaliyah
- More than 110 thousand babies named Aaliyah: U.S. records list 110,027 babies given the name Aaliyah from 1880 through 2025. Even 106 boys received the name Aaliyah - about 1 boy for every 1,037 girls.
What Does the Name Aaliyah Mean?
Aaliyah is an Arabic feminine name meaning "high," "exalted," or "sublime." It derives from the Arabic root ʿ-l-w, which expresses height and elevation; the feminine adjective ʿaliyyah (عالية) means "high" or "lofty." The name is the feminine counterpart of the masculine ʿAlī (علي), the same root that gives the name of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. The literal sense is one of physical or figurative height; the customary English gloss "exalted" or "sublime" is a natural extension of that basic meaning rather than a separate etymology. The doubled initial a in the common spelling Aaliyah is a transliteration convention that marks the long Arabic vowel ā; other English forms include Alia, Aliya, Aliah, and Alya.
Aaliyah Name History & Origins
As an Arabic name, Aaliyah has its background in the Arabic-speaking world and in Muslim communities that follow Arabic naming customs, including parts of South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and, more recently, Muslim families in Europe and North America. It is a feminine adjective name, formed from the same root as the widely used male name ʿAlī, and it belongs to a long-standing pattern of Arabic feminine names ending in -ah.
Because Arabic script writes consonants and long vowels but leaves short vowels unmarked, the name reaches English in several spellings. The first a of Aaliyah stands for the long vowel of the Arabic ʿā, and the i for the long ī of the middle syllable; the Arabic letter ʿayn at the start has no equivalent sound in English and is generally dropped in English speech and spelling, which is why the name is written both with and without an initial vowel letter. Spellings such as Alia, Aliya, and Aliah reflect the same name under different transliteration choices rather than different names.
Aaliyah is not related to the Hebrew name aliyah (עֲלִיָּה), meaning "ascent," which is used for a Jewish person's immigration to Israel. The two names resemble each other in English spelling and sound but come from different languages and different roots. Among well-known bearers of the name in the English-speaking world is the American singer Aaliyah Haughton (1979 - 2001).
How Popular is the Name Aaliyah?
Aaliyah recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2012. Aaliyah entered the top 100 U.S. girl names in 2001.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #101 | 2,607 | 0.1622% |
| 2024 | #93 | 2,703 | 0.1676% |
| 2023 | #85 | 2,857 | 0.1783% |
| 2022 | #69 | 3,284 | 0.2004% |
| 2021 | #61 | 3,613 | 0.2203% |
| 2020 | #65 | 3,578 | 0.2215% |
| 2019 | #70 | 3,672 | 0.2189% |
| 2018 | #65 | 3,844 | 0.2261% |
| 2017 | #57 | 4,195 | 0.2431% |
| 2016 | #53 | 4,656 | 0.2628% |
| 2015 | #47 | 4,878 | 0.2733% |
| 2014 | #45 | 4,899 | 0.2743% |
| 2013 | #37 | 5,245 | 0.2990% |
| 2012 | #36 | 5,522 | 0.3136% |
| 2011 | #46 | 5,127 | 0.2915% |
| 2010 | #56 | 4,672 | 0.2629% |
| 2009 | #63 | 4,378 | 0.2383% |
| 2008 | #76 | 4,045 | 0.2139% |
| 2007 | #83 | 3,960 | 0.2060% |
| 2006 | #90 | 3,745 | 0.1970% |
| 2005 | #93 | 3,459 | 0.1872% |
| 2004 | #94 | 3,492 | 0.1902% |
| 2003 | #90 | 3,673 | 0.2010% |
| 2002 | #64 | 4,779 | 0.2660% |
| 2001 | #96 | 3,352 | 0.1862% |
| 2000 | #211 | 1,496 | 0.0824% |
| 1999 | #287 | 1,088 | 0.0613% |
| 1998 | #222 | 1,399 | 0.0792% |
| 1997 | #176 | 1,739 | 0.0999% |
| 1996 | #335 | 831 | 0.0474% |
| 1995 | #225 | 1,256 | 0.0714% |
| 1994 | #201 | 1,451 | 0.0813% |
| 1993 | #4,524 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1992 | #4,088 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1991 | #5,659 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1990 | #6,867 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1989 | #5,836 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #4,840 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1987 | #5,312 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1986 | #4,348 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1985 | #6,456 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1984 | #3,726 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1983 | #3,806 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1982 | #3,093 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1981 | #3,066 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1980 | #2,440 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 1979 | #2,430 | 38 | 0.0024% |
| 1978 | #2,050 | 46 | 0.0030% |
| 1977 | #2,257 | 40 | 0.0026% |
| 1976 | #3,678 | 18 | 0.0012% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #12,234 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #12,143 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #9,695 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #12,087 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #12,109 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #6,604 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #9,709 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #10,766 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #7,097 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #6,523 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #9,582 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #7,642 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #7,534 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #9,632 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #7,772 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Aaliyah Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Aaliyah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Aaliyah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.