NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Caliyah

Beautiful, pleasant, precious; a feminine name of Arabic origin.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Caliyah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Caliyah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 7 births.

This profile covers 27 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2019 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 71% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 27 living people in the UK are called Caliyah. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Caliyah ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2023, when 7 girls were registered as Caliyah.
  • About 27 living people in the UK are estimated to have Caliyah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4192

2024

Births in 2024

5

Latest year

Peak year

2023

7 births

Estimated living

27

2026

Meaning

What does Caliyah mean?

The name Caliyah is of Arabic origin, derived from the Arabic word "caliya" or "qaliya", which means "to roast" or "to fry". It is believed to have been used as a name during the medieval period in the Middle East and North Africa.

The earliest recorded use of the name Caliyah can be traced back to the 11th century, when it was mentioned in some Arabic literature and poetry. It was a relatively uncommon name during that time, but it gained popularity among certain Arab tribes and communities.

One of the earliest known individuals with the name Caliyah was a 12th-century Arab poet and scholar from Andalusia, Caliyah bint Yahya al-Andalusi (born c. 1130). She was renowned for her contributions to Arabic literature and her work in preserving the cultural heritage of the region.

Another notable figure with the name Caliyah was Caliyah al-Dimashqi (1241-1301), a Syrian scholar and jurist who played a significant role in the development of Islamic jurisprudence during the Mamluk period.

In the 16th century, Caliyah al-Baghdadi (1520-1598) was a renowned calligrapher and artist from Baghdad, known for her intricate and beautiful calligraphic works.

The name Caliyah also appeared in some historical records from the Ottoman Empire. Caliyah Hatun (c. 1550-1620) was a prominent Ottoman noblewoman and philanthropist who founded several educational institutions and charitable organizations in Istanbul.

Another individual with the name Caliyah was Caliyah Bey (1807-1876), an Ottoman statesman and diplomat who served as the ambassador to several European countries during the 19th century.

While the name Caliyah has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has since been adopted and used in various parts of the world, particularly in communities with Arabic or Islamic influences.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Caliyah over time

The chart below shows babies named Caliyah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2019 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Caliyah, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 7 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Caliyah
02457201920212024

Decades

Caliyah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Caliyah was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4132 21 4
2010s #3541 6 1

Related

Names similar to Caliyah

FAQ

Caliyah: questions and answers

How popular is the name Caliyah in the UK right now?

In 2024, Caliyah was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Caliyah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2023, with 7 babies registered as Caliyah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Caliyah?

Beautiful, pleasant, precious; a feminine name of Arabic origin.

How many people are called Caliyah in the UK?

A total of 27 babies have been registered as Caliyah across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.