Selah is a moderately popular girls' name in United States, ranking #301 in 2023 with 1,024 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2025 with 1,416 births ranking #216. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 2,460.0%. In 2023, approximately 1 in every 1,565 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.