Fun Facts About the Name Sylah
- 96 babies named Sylah: U.S. records list 96 babies given the name Sylah from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Sylah Mean?
Sylah is usually treated as a modern respelling of Selah (Hebrew סֶלָה), a word that appears in the Hebrew Bible, mainly in the book of Psalms and in Habakkuk 3. Its meaning is uncertain. Because selah often stands at the close of a verse or stanza, many readers have taken it as a performance instruction for singers or reciters, such as a pause, an interlude, or a cue to raise the voice; the Septuagint's rendering diapsalma ("interlude") supports that reading. Other proposals include an affirmation or a sense like "forever," and some writers have connected the word to a Hebrew root meaning "to lift up." None of these is settled.
The origin that is clear is linguistic rather than semantic: the word behind the name is Hebrew. The spelling Sylah is an English form, not a Hebrew one. Hebrew writes the word with different letters and uses a final vowel letter rather than the English h, so the y and the unstressed second syllable come from English spelling and pronunciation habits, not from the biblical text.
Sylah Name History & Origins
Selah is left untranslated in many English Bibles, including the King James Version, so readers meet it as a Hebrew word rather than an English one. Jewish tradition treats it as a cue within the public reading and chanting of the Psalms, and ancient translators did the same: the Greek Septuagint used diapsalma, and the Latin Psalter kept that word, both pointing to a break or interlude in performance. That interpretation is traditional rather than proved, and the word's original sense remains unsettled.
Selah has been used as a personal name in English-speaking countries, especially in Christian communities that draw given names from the Bible. Sylah belongs to a set of modern respellings, along with forms such as Sela, that keep the sound while changing the letters. The opening Sy- also makes the name look like Sylvia, Lyla, and similar names, but those have separate origins that do not bear on Sylah's source.
How Popular is the Name Sylah?
Sylah 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 2024. Its best rank was #8,341 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 | #8,810 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2024 | #8,341 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #10,221 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #9,601 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #9,479 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #9,469 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2016 | #12,762 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #18,965 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #19,258 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #19,519 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #20,128 | 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 Sylah 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 are inventive, intuitive and extremely methodical. Since your will is so strong, you are hard to convince. You also dislike advice. You love beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual.
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.
✦ Sylah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Sylah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.