| Aaliyah | Fatima | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | High, exalted, sublime | Captivating; one who weans |
| Origin | arabic | Arabic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ah-LEE-ah | FAH-tee-mah |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1976 | 1919 |
| Peak year | 2012 (5,523) | 2006 (1,515) |
| In 2025 | 2,607 | 931 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Aaliyah | Fatima |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 18,666 | 5,437 |
| 2010s | 46,734 | 10,495 |
| 2000s | 36,381 | 13,601 |
| 1990s | 7,839 | 4,434 |
| 1980s | 209 | 2,433 |
| 1970s | 142 | 1,484 |
| 1960s | 0 | 565 |
| 1950s | 0 | 281 |
| 1940s | 0 | 125 |
| 1930s | 0 | 62 |
| 1920s | 0 | 22 |
| 1910s | 0 | 6 |
Aaliyah ('aliya, عالية) is the feminine of 'Ali ('high, exalted'), from the Arabic root '-l-w, meaning 'high, lofty, sublime'. It appears in many transliterations including Alia, Aliyah, Aliya and Aaliyah.
Fatima is traditionally linked to “one who weans” and “captivating.” Fatimah was the Prophet’s daughter.
Aaliyah is more popular than Fatima today: about 2,607 US babies were given the name Aaliyah in 2025, compared with 931 named Fatima.
Aaliyah means High, exalted, sublime (arabic origin), while Fatima means Captivating; one who weans (Arabic origin).
In US records, Aaliyah first appears in 1976 and Fatima in 1919, so Fatima has the longer recorded history.