Jalayah

Also appearing as Jaliyah and Jaleah, Jalayah is mostly likely to be another variation of the popular Aliyah, which has both Hebrew and Arabic origins. In this case, the sounds of Amaya and Alaya might also have been thrown into the mix.

From it's Hebrew origin, the name Aliyah means "ascent" while the Ja- beginning often connotes God, so the meaning might be "God's ascent." As an Arabic name, Aliyah means "lofty" or "exalted" while Ja- is a popular prefix used in the African American community, so Jaliyah might be a twist on a more popular choice, or a way to honor an Aliyah.

Rarely used before the 2000s, Jalayah was given to 145 girls in 2023. While the Jaliyah form is in the Top 1000 and used around three times more often, Jalayah outranks Jaleah and Jaliya.

Pronounced juh-LY-uh.

As of October 2026, Jalayah ranked #1786 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1445 in 2022.