Fun Facts About the Name Aliyah
- More than 49 thousand babies named Aliyah: U.S. records list 49,042 babies given the name Aliyah from 1880 through 2025. Even 43 boys received the name Aliyah - about 1 boy for every 1,140 girls.
What Does the Name Aliyah Mean?
Aliyah is a feminine given name with two separate origins. In Hebrew, it comes from עלייה (aliyah), a noun from the root עלה (ʿ-l-h), meaning "to go up" or "ascend." Its literal sense is "ascent" or "going up." In Jewish practice, an aliyah is the honor of being called up to the Torah, and in modern usage it also means immigration to Israel; the given name draws on that same noun.
In Arabic, the name is عالية (ʿāliyah), the feminine form of ʿālī (عالي), "high" or "exalted." Its meaning is "exalted," "high," or "sublime." In English it is transliterated as Aaliyah, Aliyah, or Alia. Because Arabic names are transliterated in different ways, the spelling Aliyah can stand for either the Hebrew name or the Arabic name, even though the two come from unrelated roots.
Aliyah Name History & Origins
The Hebrew noun עלייה belongs to a root that appears throughout Hebrew with the sense of going up. In biblical Hebrew the same noun can refer to an upper room or roof chamber, as in the upper room where Elijah prays over the widow's son (1 Kings 17). In rabbinic and later Jewish practice, an aliyah is the honor of being called up to the Torah; in the modern era the word became the standard term for Jewish immigration to Israel. The feminine given name Aliyah derives from this traditional noun and is used in Israel and in Jewish communities elsewhere. Its English spelling follows common transliteration of the Hebrew.
The Arabic name represented by Aliyah comes from the root ʿ-l-w, which has to do with height and elevation. The feminine form ʿāliyah (عالية) means "high" or "exalted." Arabic speakers use it as a given name, and because Arabic names are transliterated in different ways, it appears in English as Aaliyah, Aliyah, and Alia. The spelling Aliyah is therefore shared by the Hebrew name and the Arabic name, even though the two come from unrelated roots.
How Popular is the Name Aliyah?
Aliyah recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2011. Its best rank was #133 in 2011.
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 | #263 | 1,188 | 0.0739% |
| 2024 | #235 | 1,311 | 0.0813% |
| 2023 | #220 | 1,351 | 0.0843% |
| 2022 | #233 | 1,308 | 0.0798% |
| 2021 | #207 | 1,440 | 0.0878% |
| 2020 | #188 | 1,530 | 0.0947% |
| 2019 | #173 | 1,677 | 0.1000% |
| 2018 | #161 | 1,777 | 0.1045% |
| 2017 | #154 | 1,915 | 0.1110% |
| 2016 | #155 | 2,008 | 0.1134% |
| 2015 | #164 | 1,972 | 0.1105% |
| 2014 | #166 | 1,971 | 0.1104% |
| 2013 | #148 | 2,115 | 0.1206% |
| 2012 | #141 | 2,263 | 0.1285% |
| 2011 | #133 | 2,301 | 0.1308% |
| 2010 | #143 | 2,163 | 0.1217% |
| 2009 | #158 | 1,991 | 0.1084% |
| 2008 | #191 | 1,754 | 0.0928% |
| 2007 | #213 | 1,611 | 0.0838% |
| 2006 | #235 | 1,452 | 0.0764% |
| 2005 | #233 | 1,462 | 0.0791% |
| 2004 | #221 | 1,529 | 0.0833% |
| 2003 | #236 | 1,392 | 0.0762% |
| 2002 | #203 | 1,607 | 0.0894% |
| 2001 | #226 | 1,411 | 0.0784% |
| 2000 | #287 | 1,116 | 0.0615% |
| 1999 | #345 | 867 | 0.0489% |
| 1998 | #336 | 878 | 0.0497% |
| 1997 | #322 | 897 | 0.0515% |
| 1996 | #392 | 675 | 0.0385% |
| 1995 | #338 | 785 | 0.0446% |
| 1994 | #357 | 732 | 0.0410% |
| 1993 | #2,068 | 66 | 0.0036% |
| 1992 | #2,318 | 56 | 0.0030% |
| 1991 | #2,552 | 48 | 0.0026% |
| 1990 | #2,600 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 1989 | #3,785 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1988 | #2,745 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 1987 | #2,974 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1986 | #2,976 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 1985 | #3,247 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1984 | #2,854 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 1983 | #2,980 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1982 | #3,784 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1981 | #3,253 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 1980 | #3,510 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 1979 | #5,099 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1978 | #8,590 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1977 | #7,578 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #8,187 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #5,784 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1973 | #7,459 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #8,359 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | #12,225 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #12,342 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #12,172 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #10,825 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #10,727 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #6,542 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2002 | #10,736 | 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 Aliyah 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.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Aliyah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Aliyah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.