Zalayah
Meaning of Zalayah
Zalayah (zuh-LIE-uh) is a modern American coinage that marries the fashionable initial Z with the widely loved -ayah ending, a syllable cluster traced in various traditions to notions of “ascension” or “loftiness.” Some researchers also point to a distant echo of the Basque surname Zelaya, “meadow,” producing a semantic spectrum that runs from elevation to open green space. In practice, however, the name’s appeal is rooted less in etymological precision than in its fluid, melodic sound profile: four balanced syllables, a long central vowel, and a clipped final consonant that keeps the whole from drifting into excess. United States birth records document its emergence in 2002 and a steady, low-volume rise ever since, topping out at an unhurried rank of 861 in 2022 and posting 77 births at rank 873 in 2024. The statistics position Zalayah in a sweet spot—recognizable but far from saturated—while its phonetic kinship to chart-toppers like Aaliyah and Amaya delivers familiarity with a subtle dash of individuality.
Pronunciation
American English
- Pronunced as zuh-LIE-uh (/zəˈlaɪə/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
