Selah
Selah was the 216th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,416 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 245 places. More babies were named Selah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Hebrew
Say it SEE-luh /ˈsilə/
- Rank in 2025
- #216 girls, up 209 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,416girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,416 babies
- Total since 1880
- 15,394babies recorded
What does the name Selah mean?
Selah is a Hebrew word that appears about seventy times in the Psalms, usually at the end of a verse, as in Psalm 3:3. Its meaning is not known; it is generally taken as a musical or liturgical instruction, and Wiktionary notes a suggested link with a root meaning "to lift up" or "to weigh". It was probably never a personal name in the Bible; its use as a girl's name is modern.
סֶלָה (Biblical Hebrew, “interjection in the Psalms (meaning unknown)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The word's meaning is unknown; interpretations as 'pause' or 'praise' are guesses.
Other explanations you may read: means 'pause and reflect'.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Selah', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Hebrew Bible / Tanakh, Psalms 3.3, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'selah', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Selah popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 207 since 1998, 13 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #216 | 1,416 |
| 2020 | #425 | 722 |
| 2010 | #645 | 460 |
| 2000 | #1,549 | 116 |
| 1990 | #7,759 | 11 |
| 1980 | #6,234 | 11 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Selah, counting every spelling?
Selah is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #233 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #216 for Selah on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,460 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selah | 1,416 | #216 | 5,290 |
| Sela | 29 | #4,738 | 135 |
| Seela | 15 | #7,439 | 54 |
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 Selah?
1,416 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Selah (0.39 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Selah 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 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Selah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Selah?
About 15,100 people born in the US named Selah are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 15. That makes Selah a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Selah by state
How common Selah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (3.9×), Montana (3.5×), South Dakota (2.6×), Idaho (2.3×), Indiana (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Utah, New Hampshire, Massachusetts.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Selah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Selah, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Selah · Sibling names for Selah
Questions about the name Selah
What does Selah mean?
The origin of Selah is uncertain: the word's meaning is unknown; interpretations as 'pause' or 'praise' are guesses.
How popular is the name Selah?
Selah was the 216th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,416 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 245 places. More babies were named Selah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Selah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Selah in the US.
Where is Selah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Selah was most common in Hawaii (2.53 per 1,000 girls), followed by Montana and South Dakota.