About the name Aaliyah
The origin of Aaliyah is debated, and we couldn't confirm its meaning from a sourced etymology. A commonly cited theory links it to Arabic roots, with the meaning “Exalted, sublime”. Treat that as a theory, not a settled fact.
Why we say this: we only state a meaning as fact when a sourced etymology (Wiktionary, with its references) supports it. For Aaliyah we didn't find one we were confident in, so we show the popular explanation as a theory.
It has a modern feel. In 2025, Aaliyah ranked #101 for girls in the US, with 2,607 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 2012. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Aaliyah were girls.
- US rank 2025
- #101
- In 2015
- #47
- Babies in 2025
- 2,607
Popularity of Aaliyah, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
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Aaliyah
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7 LB 4 OZ · 20 IN
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Nicknames for Aaliyah
Names similar to Aaliyah
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.