Selah is a distinctive girls' name in England & Wales, ranking #3599 in 2023 with 6 recorded births. This places Selah in the top 49% of ranked UK girls' names for the year. Its actual usage is classified as Rare. The name reached its all-time peak in 2025 with 12 births ranking #2278. In 2023, approximately 1 in every 42,762 girls born was named Selah. RISING Recent data shows the name is currently rising.
Selah is a biblical Hebrew word-name usually understood as a musical or liturgical pause, though its exact meaning is not fully certain. That uncertainty is part of the name's real history, not a weakness in the entry.
Behind the Name and reference material on the biblical term both support treating Selah as a Hebrew word from the Psalms rather than as a standard ancient personal name. Its modern first-name use is much newer than the word itself.