Girl name · Hebrew
Selah
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: from a Hebrew word in the Psalms, probably a musical pauseSelah is a girl's name that is of Hebrew origin: from a Hebrew word in the Psalms, probably a musical pause. It is used in English.
- Meaning
- From a Hebrew word in the Psalms, probably a musical pause
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #216 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Selah
As a girl's name, Selah is of Hebrew origin: from a Hebrew word in the Psalms, probably a musical pause. It is used in English.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Selah on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Selah on 1 list.
“A word from the Psalms often read as a pause to reflect”
From Bible group names, bible study group names
How popular is Selah?
- US rank in 2025
- #216
- 1,416 babies, 881 per million girls
- Best rank
- #216 in 2025
- 1,416 babies that year
- Babies since 1962
- At least 15,187
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 1 per million |
| 1970s | 4 per million |
| 1980s | 6 per million |
| 1990s | 19 per million |
| 2000s | 134 per million |
| 2010s | 353 per million |
| 2020s | 618 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #464 | #457 | #432 | #445 | #425 | #378 | #358 | #301 | #279 | #216 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Selah
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- SelamPeace, well-being (Amharic, girl)
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- SabahMorning (Arabic, unisex)
- SelvaForest, jungle (Latin, girl)
- SelviCypress (Turkish, girl)
- SemaSky, heaven (Arabic, girl)
- SenaWorld and graceful (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- ŞenayHappy moon (Turkish, girl)
- SeoaAuspicious and elegant (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
- BruceProbably from Brix in Normandy (French, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- LeahProbably weary, grieved (Hebrew, girl)
- LukaForm of Lucas, probably from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- PenelopeProbably from a Greek word for a type of duck (Greek, girl)
- SuhailThe star Canopus, from a word for smooth (Arabic, boy)
- AarohiAscending, a rising musical scale (Sanskrit, girl)
- AceFrom the English word ace, highest rank (English, boy)
- AlainaVariant of Alana, probably influenced by Elaine (Breton, girl)
- AloraVariant of Elora, probably invented; used in the film Willow (English, girl)
- ArabellaProbably a variant of Annabel; linked with Latin yielding to prayer (Latin, girl)
- AramRipe chestnuts, a native Korean word (Korean, girl)
Middle names for Selah
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Hebrew
- AnnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- EvaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- EliseGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- LisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- AnneFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- DanielaGod is my judge (Hebrew, girl)
- ElsaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- HannahFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabelGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- JudithWoman of judea (Hebrew, girl)
- LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- SaraPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- AnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- ArielLion of God (Hebrew, unisex)
- ElisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- ElisabethGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- GabrielaGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
Selah: common questions
What does the name Selah mean?
Selah is of Hebrew origin: from a Hebrew word in the Psalms, probably a musical pause. Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Selah a boy or girl name?
Selah is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 1,416 girls and 13 boys in the US were named Selah, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Selah come from?
Selah is of Hebrew origin: from a Hebrew word in the Psalms, probably a musical pause. Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Selah?
Selah ranked #216 in the US in 2025, with 1,416 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Selah?
Names spelled like Selah include Selam, Sarah, Sabah, Selva and Selvi.
What middle names go with Selah?
Middle names that flow well with Selah include Alexandra, Amber, Daisy, Frances and Isabella. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.