Soumaya

سُمَيَّة

Girl Arabic /soo-MAY-yah/

Soumaya is a girl name of Arabic origin.

Meaning of Soumaya

Affectionate diminutive meaning "little elevated one, little noble one." Sumayya bint Khayyat was the first martyr of Islam, tortured to death by the Meccans for her faith.

Arabic root: s-m-w — (س-م-و, elevation)

Regional variants

"Sumayya" is the classical spelling. Carries deep symbolic weight as the name of Islam's first martyr — often chosen by parents for its courage narrative.

Popularity of Soumaya

Popularity, 1997–2022

7 births in 2022

1997 2022

69 U.S. births recorded from 1997–2023.

Peak year

2015

9 babies

First recorded

1997

26 years of history

Recent trend

Falling

Last 5 yrs vs. prior 5

Variants & nicknames

SumayaSumayya

Famous people named Soumaya

Sumayya bint Khayyat

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meaning and cultural context drawn from classical sources: Lisan al-Arab, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Qur'an and Sunnah. If you spot an error, please let us know.