Fun Facts About the Name Suraiya
- 267 babies named Suraiya: U.S. records list 267 babies given the name Suraiya from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Suraiya Mean?
Suraiya is an Arabic female name meaning "the Pleiades," the star cluster known in Arabic as al-Thurayyā (الثريا). The name is simply the cluster's name given to a girl, so its meaning is the star group itself rather than a quality or virtue.
Arabic lexicographers treat thurayyā as a diminutive form built on the root ث ر ي, the same root behind tharwa, "wealth, abundance," and words for abundant rain. The link is usually explained by the cluster's role as a sign of the rainy season in Arabia. That etymological connection is traditional rather than certain, and Arabic sources do not all identify the same base word for the diminutive.
Suraiya is not related to the Sanskrit Sūrya, "sun," despite the similar sound, and it is distinct from the Arabic word surriyya (concubine), which comes from a different root. The Latin-alphabet spellings Suraiya, Surayya, Soraya, and Thoraya all represent the same Arabic name.
Suraiya Name History & Origins
The Pleiades were an important calendar marker in pre-Islamic Arabia. Their rising and setting were watched for signs of rain and used to time planting, herding, and travel, and the cluster appears in early Arabic poetry and proverbs under the name al-Thurayyā. From this star name, Thurayyā developed as a personal name for girls in the Arabic-speaking world.
Along with Arabic, the name was taken into Persian, where it is written ثریا and pronounced Sorayā, and into Turkish, Urdu, and other languages of Muslim Asia and the Middle East, in forms such as Surayya and Suraiya. It also appears in Latin-alphabet use in South Asia, Iran, Turkey, and among diaspora communities.
Well-known bearers include Suraiya (1929 - 2004), the Indian film actress and playback singer, and Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary (1932 - 2001), who was queen of Iran as the second wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The name is also familiar in the Hispanic world through the Colombian-American singer Soraya (1969 - 2006), whose given name came from her family's Middle Eastern background.
How Popular is the Name Suraiya?
Suraiya 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 2010. Its best rank was #6,587 in 2024.
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 | #10,028 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #6,587 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2023 | #6,891 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 2022 | #13,419 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #6,654 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2020 | #8,352 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2019 | #6,670 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2018 | #9,095 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #9,286 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2016 | #12,757 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #7,572 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2014 | #6,676 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2013 | #10,912 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #10,351 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #10,311 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #6,601 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #19,867 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #8,912 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2007 | #20,212 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #11,317 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #14,330 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #15,856 | 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 Suraiya 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. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of 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.
✦ Suraiya's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Suraiya's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.