Aliya
Aliya was the 823rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 330 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 598th with 483 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 105 places. More babies were named Aliya in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Aaliyah) high, exalted · Arabic
- Rank in 2025
- #823 girls, up 40 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 330girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2012483 babies
- Total since 1880
- 11,075babies recorded
What does the name Aliya mean?
Aliya is a spelling of Aaliyah, pronounced the same way, so it shares Aaliyah's meaning and origin.
Aaliyah is an English spelling of the Arabic name Aaliya, the feminine form of an adjective meaning 'high, exalted, lofty'. Wiktionary's Arabic entries give that sense. The R&B singer Aaliyah (1979 to 2001) made the name widely known in the US. Hebrew aliyah, 'ascent' or 'going up', is a separate but similar-sounding word that Wikipedia also discusses under the name, and Wiktionary lists Aliyah as a girl's name from either source.
عَالِيَة (Arabic, “ʿāliya, high, exalted (feminine)”)עֲלִיָּה (Hebrew, “aliyah, ascent (separate word)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Aliyah, Aliya, Aleah, Alia.
See also: Arabic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Aaliyah', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'عال', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Aaliyah (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Aliya popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #823 | 330 |
| 2020 | #863 | 312 |
| 2010 | #652 | 450 |
| 2000 | #718 | 322 |
| 1990 | #3,526 | 30 |
| 1980 | #2,154 | 47 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Aliya, counting every spelling?
Aliya is a spelling of Aaliyah, a name family that ranked #106 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #823 for Aliya on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,000 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaliyah | 2,607 | #101 | 15,082 |
| Aliya | 330 | #823 | 1,650 |
| Aaliya | 45 | #3,389 | 244 |
| Alliyah | 18 | #6,340 | 95 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Aliya?
330 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Aliya (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Aliya born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 25 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Aliya.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Aliya?
About 11,000 people born in the US named Aliya are alive today, with a median age of 17; half are between 9 and 23. That makes Aliya mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Aliya by state
How common Aliya was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (3.0×), New York (2.4×), Illinois (2.0×), Virginia (1.7×), Maryland (1.6×). In 24 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Aliya: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Aliya, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Aliya
What does Aliya mean?
Aliya is a spelling of Aaliyah, which means “high, exalted” (Arabic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Aliya?
Aliya was the 823rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 330 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 598th with 483 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 105 places. More babies were named Aliya in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Aliya a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Aliya in the US.
Where is Aliya most popular?
In 2021–2025, Aliya was most common in Minnesota (0.60 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and Hawaii.