Siyah
A feminine name of Turkish origin meaning "black" or "dark".
Name Census estimates that about 284 living Americans carry the first name Siyah. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 81.8% of registrations being female. The average person named Siyah today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Siyah births was 2016 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Siyah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Siyah with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
284
~ 1 in 1,206,881 Americans
Peak year
2016
32 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,520
Tracked since 2007
Gender
Gender distribution for Siyah
Siyah leans heavily female at 81.8% of total registrations, but 52 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Siyah as a male name
- Ranked #12,103 in 2024
- 6 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (7 births)
Siyah as a female name
- Ranked #7,520 in 2024
- 15 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (26 births)
Popularity
Siyah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Siyah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 178 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Siyah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Siyah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Siyah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Siyahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Siyah
The name Siyah is derived from the Persian word "siah," which means "black" or "dark." It is believed to have originated in ancient Persia, now known as Iran, during the time of the Achaemenid Empire, which ruled from around 550 BC to 330 BC.
The name is closely associated with the Persian language and culture. In Persian literature and poetry, the color black has often been used as a symbolic representation of beauty, strength, and mystery.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Siyah can be found in the Shahnameh, an epic Persian poem written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century AD. In the poem, Siyah is mentioned as the name of a brave warrior who fought alongside the legendary hero Rustam.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Siyah. One of the most famous was Siyah Qomi, a Persian poet and scholar who lived in the 16th century during the Safavid Dynasty. His works explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
Another well-known figure was Siyah Saqqā, a military commander who served under the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century. He was renowned for his strategic prowess and his unwavering loyalty to the Seljuk rulers.
In the 13th century, there was Siyah Ghaltan, a Sufi mystic and philosopher who wrote extensively on the spiritual aspects of Islam. His teachings and writings had a profound influence on the development of Sufism in the region.
During the Qajar Dynasty in the 19th century, Siyah Khan was a prominent military leader who played a significant role in the defense of Persia against foreign invaders. He is remembered for his bravery and his dedication to protecting the sovereignty of his homeland.
Siyah has also been used as a name in other cultures and regions, though its origins can be traced back to the Persian language and tradition. The name has carried a sense of elegance, strength, and cultural significance throughout its long history.
People
Siyah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Siyah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Siyah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Siyah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 284 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Siyah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,206,881 US residents.
Is Siyah a common name?
We classify Siyah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 286 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Siyah most popular?
The single biggest year for Siyah was 2016, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Siyah is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Siyah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Siyah a female name?
Yes, 81.8% of people registered as Siyah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Siyah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Siyah in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Siyah can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Siyah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.