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At a Glance: Name: Soraya – Meaning: the Pleiades star cluster; also glossed as 'brilliant gem' – Origin: Persian (from Arabic) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: soh-RY-ah
Soraya is a girl's name with roots in Persian, borrowed from the Arabic word for the Pleiades star cluster — sometimes glossed as 'brilliant gem.' You'll often see it described as meaning 'princess,' but that idea comes from famous namesakes like Queen Soraya of Afghanistan and Empress Soraya of Iran rather than the word itself. It's pronounced soh-RY-ah.
Meaning & Origin of Soraya
Meaning: The pleiades star cluster; also glossed as 'brilliant gem'.
Origin: Persian (from Arabic).
A common claim: Often said to mean 'princess' Actually: Soraya is frequently glossed as 'princess' thanks to famous royal namesakes (Queen Soraya of Afghanistan, Empress Soraya of Iran), but that's not part of the word's etymology — it comes from the Persian/Arabic term for the Pleiades star cluster.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Soraya
Phonetic: soh-RY-ah IPA: /soʊˈraɪə/
Popularity of Soraya
Soraya sits at #913 in the latest Social Security data (2024), with 290 babies given the name that year — and that's also its peak rank across the full 1955-2024 record.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1955–2024.
Make Soraya Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Soraya, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Soraya mean?
The pleiades star cluster; also glossed as ‘brilliant gem’. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Soraya)
How do you pronounce Soraya?
Soraya is pronounced soh-RY-ah (IPA: /soʊˈraɪə/).
Is Soraya a popular name right now?
Soraya is at its highest recorded popularity right now, ranked #913 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1955–2024.)
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