Aliyah

Fact-checked by Rebekah Wahlberg

Written by Blake Bakkila

In this article

Aliyah name meaning and origin

What does Aliyah mean?

"Sublime"

Aliyah name origin:

Arabic

Aliyah derives from Arabic and is a feminine version of the boys' name Ali. The meanings include "exalted" and "sublime" in Arabic.

Because it's transcribed from a different language, there are quite a few spellings for the name, including Aliya, Aaliyah, Aliyya, and Alia.

The name gained popularity with the release of R&B singer Aaliyah's first album in 1994. When she died tragically in 2001, her name saw another bump in popularity.

Aliyah isn't as popular as other spellings of the name, and only joined the top 1,000 girls' names in the United States in 1994. It peaked at No. 133 in 2011. (On the other hand, Aaliyah has consistently appeared in the top 100 since 2001 and peaked at No. 36 in 2012.)

Sources:

Hanks P., et al. 2016. A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780198610601.001.0001/acref-9780198610601-e-104?rskey=qkbAPw&result=281Opens a new window

U.S. Social Security Administration. Undated. Popular Baby Names. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/Opens a new window

Popularity over time

Data not available

Aliyah in pop culture

Aliyah 5

Main character in the 2020 show Utopia Falls, played by Robyn Alomar

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Famous people named Aliyah

Aliyah Abrams

Guyanese sprinter who represented her country at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio

Aliyah Boston

American professional basketball player on the Indiana Fever team

Aliyah Kolf

Dutch singer and actress who won Holland's Got Talent in 2011

Aliyah Moulden

American singer who became the youngest finalist on the show The Voice in 2017

Names similar to Aliyah

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