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Sela as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sela

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The baby name Sela is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced English: SEE-lah (/ˈsiːlə/); Hebrew: SEH-lah (/ˈsɛla/).

Sela is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: English: SEE-lah (/ˈsiːlə/); Hebrew: SEH-lah (/ˈsɛla/)

What is the meaning of the name Sela ?

The baby name Sela is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced English: SEE-lah (/ˈsiːlə/); Hebrew: SEH-lah (/ˈsɛla/).

Sela is Hebrew in Origin.

Sela is a Hebrew name with layered roots. As סֶלַע (selaʿ), it means “rock” or “cliff,” echoing the rugged biblical place-name Sela - later Petra - linked to Edom. It is also often associated with the liturgical term Selah (סֶלָה) from the Psalms, a word of debated sense, commonly taken as “pause,” “lift up,” or a musical interlude. Given usage is typically feminine in English today, though the Hebrew form is linguistically unisex.

Use as a given name in the modern West rose in the late 20th century, helped by American actress Sela Ward. In Jewish and Israeli contexts it also appears, though uncommon, drawing on the “rock” sense and the biblical toponym. Variants and related forms include Selah (English Bible spelling) and, by meaning, Petra and Eben. Short forms may be Sel or Seli. The name blends sturdy imagery with quiet musical and devotional overtones.

Sela has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Sela

Sela Ward Actor · Born 1956 · United States Sela Ward is an American actress best known for playing Teddy Reed on the NBC drama Sisters. She broke out in that role from 1991 to 1996 and won the 1994 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Sela – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
AZ 0 #43 1 706
AL 0 #70 7 2,372
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
SD 0 #102 1 2,130
GE Girls 0 #108 1 1,564
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
IQ 0 #132 2 3,533
GR 0 #134 2 3,911
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
SI Girls 0 #161 14 2,769
Sweden Girls 2016 #186 2 1,634
AL Girls 0 #200 23 4,141
SI Boys 0 #206 6 3,402
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
PS 0 #224 3 5,692
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
BD 0 #239 3 5,992
GR Girls 0 #244 6 6,293
GH 0 #246 3 5,396
TW Boys 0 #255 2 7,111
MO Girls 0 #262 2 7,056
IL 0 #274 9 6,291
JM Girls 0 #278 1 7,507
TW Girls 0 #281 9 8,139
AL Boys 0 #282 17 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #299 7 6,530
JO Girls 0 #301 25 7,570
Canada Girls 2011 #303 6 2,850
QA Girls 0 #306 11 15,378
GH Girls 0 #311 14 6,973
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
CN Boys 0 #330 2 9,639
SD Girls 0 #350 9 7,678
CN Girls 0 #355 5 8,829
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
OM Girls 0 #372 25 15,987
BD Girls 0 #375 12 8,413
JO Boys 0 #386 4 7,057
EG 0 #389 12 6,387
YE 0 #396 3 8,639
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
PH Girls 0 #428 2 13,098
PS Girls 0 #461 63 10,981
SD Boys 0 #462 5 10,523
PT Girls 0 #471 1 7,952
ZA 0 #474 1 14,421
IQ Girls 0 #476 29 11,303
KW Girls 0 #481 35 19,177
LY 0 #506 30 12,703
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
AE Girls 0 #518 36 20,968
PA Girls 0 #518 1 9,861
RU Girls 0 #520 4 11,913
RU Boys 0 #526 1 12,621
PS Boys 0 #531 18 10,655
UY Girls 0 #535 2 6,731
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
EG Girls 0 #552 476 14,742
CM Girls 0 #554 7 11,671
IR Boys 0 #557 9 10,162
IL Girls 0 #561 57 11,648
IL Boys 0 #563 45 10,983
CM Boys 0 #572 4 12,054
SG Girls 0 #572 15 18,916
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
BH 0 #581 7 17,937
BD Boys 0 #601 5 10,045
HK Girls 0 #601 15 16,104
SY 0 #619 110 11,684
BO Girls 0 #648 4 9,488
LB 0 #648 11 13,263
IN Girls 0 #649 6 13,121
IQ Boys 0 #693 5 13,071
Finland Girls 2026 #725 14 3,895
SG Boys 0 #737 3 17,960
QA Boys 0 #743 1 18,093
KW Boys 0 #756 14 18,755
SA Girls 0 #803 133 25,931
Germany Girls 0 #825 14 4,949
NG Girls 0 #825 2 15,093
EG Boys 0 #846 41 15,035
TN 0 #863 3 13,765
United States Girls 2024 #882 35 8,487
CL Girls 0 #911 5 14,098
OM Boys 0 #911 8 17,948
PE Boys 0 #924 3 14,506
NL Girls 0 #929 27 5,933
MY Girls 0 #936 59 24,821
Germany Boys 0 #939 14 5,697
Spain Girls 0 #949 35 5,561
CO Boys 0 #980 2 15,656
BR Girls 0 #987 6 12,708
PE Girls 0 #1,003 8 14,861
MX Boys 0 #1,033 1 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,035 5 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,078 15 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,087 25 25,439
MA 0 #1,108 21 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,108 34 25,928
DZ 0 #1,145 32 20,130
CO Girls 0 #1,148 5 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,150 29 25,619
TR 0 #1,161 51 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,172 12 17,781
IT Girls 0 #1,399 48 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,444 28 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,583 32 28,008

Sela is popular in 69 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Canada
AE
AL
AZ

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Sela

Sela is predominantly a girl's name.
Sela is a 2 syllable name, pronounced English: SEE-lah (/ˈsiːlə/); Hebrew: SEH-lah (/ˈsɛla/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Selah.
Yes — Sela ranked #186 in Sweden in 2016, and appears in official birth registries across 4 countries.
Sela ranks highest in Sweden (#186 in 2016).
Sela's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #899 in 2014 to #882 in 2024 in United States.
Yes — 1 notable people named Sela are in our database, including Sela Ward (Actor).