Selah
Biblical Hebrew סֶלָה (selāh); according to some scholars, from סָלָה (salah, “to hang”, implying “to weigh”, “to measure”).
Every Selah since 1962 — 15,394 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Selah
Selah is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #216 in 2025 with 1,416 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1962, 15,394 American babies have been named Selah. Its peak came in 2025, when 1,429 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2020s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Selah stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Selah year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,416 | #216 | 13 | #6,741 |
| 2024 | 1,134 | #279 | 21 | #4,852 |
| 2023 | 1,027 | #301 | 12 | #7,226 |
| 2022 | 885 | #358 | 8 | #9,690 |
| 2021 | 828 | #378 | 9 | #8,721 |
| 2020 | 722 | #425 | 13 | #6,564 |
| 2019 | 701 | #445 | 8 | #9,603 |
| 2018 | 732 | #432 | 15 | #5,997 |
| 2017 | 695 | #457 | 10 | #8,041 |
| 2016 | 688 | #464 | — | — |
| 2015 | 690 | #461 | 7 | #10,441 |
| 2014 | 577 | #540 | 6 | #11,878 |
| 2013 | 552 | #538 | — | — |
| 2012 | 575 | #527 | 6 | #12,030 |
| 2011 | 506 | #576 | 11 | #7,421 |
| 2010 | 460 | #645 | 8 | #9,528 |
| 2009 | 419 | #695 | 7 | #10,781 |
| 2008 | 380 | #773 | 5 | #14,262 |
| 2007 | 344 | #833 | — | — |
| 2006 | 324 | #832 | 6 | #11,812 |
| 2005 | 263 | #944 | 5 | #13,028 |
| 2004 | 179 | #1,229 | — | — |
| 2003 | 179 | #1,198 | 10 | #7,153 |
| 2002 | 154 | #1,280 | 7 | #9,219 |
| 2001 | 124 | #1,513 | — | — |
| 2000 | 116 | #1,549 | 8 | #8,080 |
| 1995 | 40 | #2,967 | — | — |
| 1990 | 11 | #7,759 | — | — |
| 1985 | 8 | #8,151 | — | — |
| 1980 | 11 | #6,234 | — | — |
| 1975 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Selah
- Selah Sue Singer · b. 1989
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Selah mean?
Biblical Hebrew סֶלָה (selāh); according to some scholars, from סָלָה (salah, “to hang”, implying “to weigh”, “to measure”).
How popular is the name Selah in 2025?
Selah ranked #216 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,416 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Selah?
15,394 babies have been named Selah in the United States since 1962, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Selah most popular?
Selah peaked in 2025, when 1,429 newborns received the name.
Is Selah a boy or girl name?
Selah is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Selah rising or falling?
Selah is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Selah?
Well-known people named Selah include Selah Sue (singer).