Baby Name Popularity Profile

Selah

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Selah.

✦ To pause, reflect, or lift up 🌍 Hebrew biblical spiritual
National Rank (2025) #216
All-Time Peak Rank #216 Achieved 2025
Total U.S. Births 15,187 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 1.2% Boy / 98.8% Girl Overwhelmingly Female
First Recorded 1962 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 2010s 1,416 births in 2025
💡 The Selah Vibe: Considered a Rising Star. A high-velocity modern choice demonstrating rapid, sustained growth in recent registries.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning To pause, reflect, or lift up
Language Origin Hebrew
Origin Type single
Derived from a Hebrew word found in the Psalms, often interpreted as a musical or liturgical direction meaning 'to pause' or 'to lift up'.
Alternative Spellings
Sela
Pronunciation: SEE-lah
Themes & Categories
biblical spiritual
Etymology confidence: Medium · Under review

📖 The Story Behind Selah

According to SSA data, Selah achieved its highest historical rank of #216 in 2025. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 2025 with 1,416 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have increased by 105.2%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 50 consecutive years.

📊 Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Selah across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Fast Rising
10-Year Shift +105.2% Growth
18801920196020002025

📈 Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 1,416 births in 2025
Years in Top 100 0 yrs
Years in Top 500 11 yrs
Registry Streak 50 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 0
1890s: 0
1900s: 0
1910s: 0
1920s: 0
1930s: 0
1940s: 0
1950s: 0
1960s: 11
1970s: 55
1980s: 104
1990s: 347
2000s: 2,482
2010s: 6,176
2020s: 6,012

📐 Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Se-lah
Letter Count 5 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 7.7% of names
Linguistic Profile: It is an isogram, meaning no two letters are repeated. Longer than 7.7% of SSA names. Starts with S, a letter used by only 7.9% of SSA names.

🛠️ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Selah.

📍 Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Colorado
Top States Colorado, Arizona, Hawaii, Florida, Oregon
States with Data 48
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Colorado #189 364 2025 Insufficient historical volume
Arizona #182 349 2025 Insufficient historical volume
Hawaii #161 86 2024 Insufficient historical volume
Florida #163 929 2025 +220.6% Growth
Oregon #241 237 2023 Insufficient historical volume
Washington #272 380 2021 Insufficient historical volume
North Carolina #158 615 2025 +103.1% Growth
Georgia #186 566 2025 +26.7% Growth
Tennessee #169 429 2025 +84.0% Growth
Montana #103 60 2024 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #172 433 2025 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota #261 346 2024 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #230 1,434 2025 +105.4% Growth
California #213 1,841 2025 +58.2% Growth
Nevada #286 61 2021 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho #174 72 2025 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina #160 262 2025 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #133 421 2025 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland #240 237 2025 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama #234 251 2021 Insufficient historical volume
Michigan #198 513 2025 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #246 262 2024 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas #253 137 2023 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #236 284 2025 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #204 540 2025 +124.0% Growth
South Dakota #138 39 2025 Insufficient historical volume
Nebraska #198 76 2024 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas #367 112 2023 Insufficient historical volume
Oklahoma #292 136 2025 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico #180 52 2025 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa #383 128 2023 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania #193 518 2025 +122.2% Growth
North Dakota #246 30 2021 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois #288 433 2025 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #213 144 2025 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi #297 102 2011 Insufficient historical volume
Alaska Unranked 10 2006 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey #336 184 2025 Insufficient historical volume
New York #530 422 2024 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana #422 98 2021 Insufficient historical volume
Wyoming Unranked 7 2024 Insufficient historical volume
Utah Unranked 29 2024 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware Unranked 7 2022 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts #472 74 2025 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia #268 26 2024 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut #279 24 2025 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire Unranked 5 2024 Insufficient historical volume
District of Columbia #143 6 2025 Insufficient historical volume

👨‍👩‍👧 Sibling Name Suggestions

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