UK girl's name
Melayah
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially deriving from Arabic.
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.
Melayah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Melayah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3695, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 6 births.
This profile covers 6 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2024 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.
Melayah is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 6 living people in the UK are called Melayah. 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
- • Melayah ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 6 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 6 girls were registered as Melayah.
- • About 6 living people in the UK are estimated to have Melayah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3695
2024
Births in 2024
6
Latest year
Peak year
2024
6 births
Estimated living
6
2026
Meaning
What does Melayah mean?
The name Melayah is a relatively modern invention, likely derived from a blend of the name Mela and the suffix -yah, which has roots in various ancient languages. It does not appear to have a direct origin from a specific language or culture.
The name Mela itself can be traced back to ancient Greek, where it was a shortened form of the name Melanie, meaning "dark" or "black." The suffix -yah is reminiscent of Hebrew names like Eliyah or Mariah, where it was used as a way to invoke the name of God.
While there are no known historical references or ancient texts mentioning the name Melayah directly, the individual components of the name have been present in various cultures for centuries. The blending of these elements into a single name is a relatively modern phenomenon.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Melayah being used was in the late 20th century. However, it has become more popular in recent decades, particularly in certain regions of the United States.
Notable individuals with the first name Melayah include:
1. Melayah McBride, an American fashion model and social media influencer, born in the late 1990s. 2. Melayah Grice, an American reality television personality known for her appearance on the show "Bad Girls Club," born in the early 1990s. 3. Melayah Sampson, a Canadian basketball player who played for the University of British Columbia, born in the late 1990s. 4. Melayah Williams, an American track and field athlete who competed in the high jump, born in the early 2000s. 5. Melayah Marty, a French artist and sculptor known for her abstract metal sculptures, born in the mid-20th century.
While the name Melayah is relatively new and does not have a deep historical lineage, it has gained popularity in recent times, particularly among parents seeking unique and melodic names for their children.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Melayah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Melayah 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 | #3695 | 6 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Melayah
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Melayah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Melayah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Melayah was ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.
When was Melayah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 6 babies registered as Melayah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Melayah?
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially deriving from Arabic.
How many people are called Melayah in the UK?
A total of 6 babies have been registered as Melayah across the 1 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.