Fun Facts About the Name Selah
- More than 15 thousand babies named Selah: U.S. records list 15,370 babies given the name Selah from 1880 through 2025. Even 207 boys received the name Selah - about 1 boy for every 73 girls.
What Does the Name Selah Mean?
Selah (Hebrew selāh, סֶלָה) is a Hebrew word from the Bible whose meaning has never been settled. It occurs about 74 times in the Hebrew text - roughly 71 times in the book of Psalms and three times in the prayer in Habakkuk 3 - and English Bibles usually print it untranslated. The consonants ס-ל-ה are rare in Biblical Hebrew, which is why no single etymology has won general agreement.
The oldest clue to how the word was understood is the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, which renders it diapsalma, "pause" or "interlude," as if it were an instruction for the music or recitation of the psalms. Aquila's second-century Greek version instead used a word meaning "forever," and some Aramaic and medieval Jewish sources also read selah as "forever." A third proposal links the word to the Hebrew root salal, "to lift up," which would make selah a call to lift the voice or the instruments - or, figuratively, to exalt God.
"Interlude," "pause," and "forever" are therefore interpretations rather than translations. Selah is not the same word as Sela (סֶלַע), Hebrew for "rock" and the name of an Edomite stronghold, nor as Shelah, a son of Judah in Genesis; the spellings resemble each other, but the Hebrew words differ.
Selah Name History & Origins
Selah first appears as part of the Hebrew Bible, in the Psalter and in Habakkuk 3. The psalms were composed and gathered over a long period, and in the written text selah stands at the close of verses or small groups of verses, most often in psalms of lament and praise. That position - always inside a poem, never in narrative - is the main reason most readers have taken it for a direction to the performers rather than a word with a dictionary meaning.
Translators and commentators had to do something with it. Origen, who set the Greek versions side by side in his Hexapla, recorded that they disagreed: the Septuagint read diapsalma, while Aquila read "forever." Medieval Jewish commentators were just as divided - Rashi explained the word as "forever," and others connected it with raising the voice. From the 16th century on, English Bibles, including the Geneva Bible and the King James Version, carried the Hebrew word over as "Selah," and modern versions either do the same or explain it in a note.
As a personal name, Selah comes directly from the biblical word rather than from a Bible character; no person named Selah appears in the Hebrew text. It is used in the United States and other English-speaking countries, usually for girls, and often by families who meet the word in the Psalms. Documented bearers include Selah Marley, daughter of Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley, and the name was also adopted by the gospel quartet the Selah Jubilee Singers, active from the 1930s.
How Popular is the Name Selah?
Selah recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #216 in 2025.
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 | #216 | 1,416 | 0.0881% |
| 2024 | #280 | 1,122 | 0.0696% |
| 2023 | #301 | 1,024 | 0.0639% |
| 2022 | #358 | 884 | 0.0539% |
| 2021 | #381 | 822 | 0.0501% |
| 2020 | #425 | 722 | 0.0447% |
| 2019 | #445 | 701 | 0.0418% |
| 2018 | #432 | 732 | 0.0430% |
| 2017 | #457 | 694 | 0.0402% |
| 2016 | #464 | 688 | 0.0388% |
| 2015 | #461 | 690 | 0.0387% |
| 2014 | #540 | 577 | 0.0323% |
| 2013 | #538 | 552 | 0.0315% |
| 2012 | #527 | 574 | 0.0326% |
| 2011 | #576 | 506 | 0.0288% |
| 2010 | #645 | 460 | 0.0259% |
| 2009 | #695 | 419 | 0.0228% |
| 2008 | #773 | 380 | 0.0201% |
| 2007 | #833 | 344 | 0.0179% |
| 2006 | #832 | 324 | 0.0170% |
| 2005 | #944 | 263 | 0.0142% |
| 2004 | #1,229 | 179 | 0.0097% |
| 2003 | #1,198 | 179 | 0.0098% |
| 2002 | #1,280 | 154 | 0.0086% |
| 2001 | #1,513 | 124 | 0.0069% |
| 2000 | #1,549 | 116 | 0.0064% |
| 1999 | #1,665 | 100 | 0.0056% |
| 1998 | #2,795 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 1997 | #3,529 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 1996 | #3,016 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 1995 | #2,967 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 1994 | #5,930 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1993 | #4,358 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1992 | #5,222 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1991 | #5,893 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1990 | #7,759 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1989 | #9,484 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #8,241 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #5,031 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1986 | #6,078 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1985 | #8,150 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #10,106 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #8,779 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #4,491 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1981 | #6,709 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1980 | #6,234 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1979 | #7,181 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1978 | #4,873 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1977 | #7,418 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #8,988 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #7,505 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1973 | #9,482 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #8,037 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #7,633 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #6,445 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,741 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2024 | #4,837 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2023 | #7,221 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #9,686 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #8,719 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #6,560 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2019 | #9,601 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #5,996 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #8,039 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #10,438 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #11,876 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #12,028 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #7,419 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #9,524 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #10,781 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #14,261 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2006 | #11,809 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #13,028 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #7,153 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #9,220 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #8,079 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #8,559 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #11,023 | 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 Selah Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Selah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Selah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.