Fun Facts About the Name Aliah
- More than 5 thousand babies named Aliah: U.S. records list 5,828 babies given the name Aliah from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Aliah Mean?
Aliah is a feminine name usually understood to mean "exalted" or "sublime." It comes from Arabic ʿāliyah (عالية), the feminine form of the adjective ʿālī, "high, elevated," built on the root ʿ-l-w, which has to do with height and rising. The name is commonly treated as a spelling variant of Aaliyah, Aliyah, or Alia.
A related form exists in Hebrew: ʿaliyyah (עֲלִיָּה), "ascent," from the verb ʿālāh, "to go up." Arabic and Hebrew are related Semitic languages, and the two roots behind these words are cognate, so the names are connected in origin even though they developed separately. Where Aliah is used with the Hebrew sense, the meaning is "ascent" rather than "exalted."
Aliah Name History & Origins
In Arabic the name is the feminine of ʿālī, and women named ʿĀliyah have been recorded across the Arabic-speaking world. It shares its root with the male name ʿAlī and with the female name Alia. When written in Latin letters, the name takes several shapes, among them Alia, Aliya, Aliyah, Aaliyah, and Aliah.
The Hebrew ʿaliyyah, "ascent," has its own history. In Jewish practice an aliyah is the honor of being called up to read from the Torah, and in modern usage the same word means immigration to Israel, so the name carries the idea of going up or rising. As a given name in English, it belongs to the same family of spellings as Aliyah and Aaliyah.
Aliah is one of the less frequently used Latin-alphabet spellings of the name. The spelling Aaliyah is also borne by the American singer Aaliyah Haughton (1979 - 2001), which made that particular form widely recognizable in English.
How Popular is the Name Aliah?
Aliah has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2015. Its best rank was #1,007 in 2015.
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 | #1,192 | 193 | 0.0120% |
| 2024 | #1,246 | 186 | 0.0115% |
| 2023 | #1,205 | 198 | 0.0124% |
| 2022 | #1,119 | 219 | 0.0134% |
| 2021 | #1,098 | 225 | 0.0137% |
| 2020 | #1,224 | 187 | 0.0116% |
| 2019 | #1,082 | 231 | 0.0138% |
| 2018 | #1,111 | 220 | 0.0129% |
| 2017 | #1,108 | 227 | 0.0132% |
| 2016 | #1,183 | 211 | 0.0119% |
| 2015 | #1,007 | 266 | 0.0149% |
| 2014 | #1,321 | 179 | 0.0100% |
| 2013 | #1,184 | 203 | 0.0116% |
| 2012 | #1,121 | 221 | 0.0126% |
| 2011 | #1,090 | 225 | 0.0128% |
| 2010 | #1,054 | 235 | 0.0132% |
| 2009 | #1,208 | 207 | 0.0113% |
| 2008 | #1,313 | 189 | 0.0100% |
| 2007 | #1,371 | 176 | 0.0092% |
| 2006 | #1,308 | 179 | 0.0094% |
| 2005 | #1,334 | 164 | 0.0089% |
| 2004 | #1,308 | 163 | 0.0089% |
| 2003 | #1,499 | 130 | 0.0071% |
| 2002 | #1,377 | 140 | 0.0078% |
| 2001 | #1,489 | 126 | 0.0070% |
| 2000 | #1,335 | 141 | 0.0078% |
| 1999 | #1,549 | 109 | 0.0061% |
| 1998 | #1,869 | 82 | 0.0046% |
| 1997 | #1,671 | 94 | 0.0054% |
| 1996 | #1,658 | 92 | 0.0052% |
| 1995 | #1,717 | 85 | 0.0048% |
| 1994 | #2,063 | 67 | 0.0038% |
| 1993 | #3,506 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1992 | #3,502 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1991 | #4,656 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1990 | #5,061 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1989 | #5,551 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #5,606 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1987 | #5,321 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1986 | #4,542 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1985 | #6,040 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1984 | #6,826 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1983 | #6,231 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1982 | #5,924 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1981 | #5,260 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1980 | #5,551 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1979 | #7,325 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1978 | #5,574 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1977 | #7,575 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1975 | #9,103 | 5 | 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 Aliah 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.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Aliah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Aliah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.