Soraiya as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Soraiya

What is the meaning of the name Soraiya ?

The baby name Soraiya is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /sɔːˈraɪə/ (so-RYE-uh).

Soraiya is Arabic in Origin.

Soraiya is a modern transliteration of Soraya, a Persian feminine name from Arabic al-Thurayya, the traditional name for the Pleiades star cluster. The image of a glittering constellation lends meanings such as “Pleiades,” “cluster of stars,” and, by poetic extension, brilliance or abundance. Spelling and regional variants include Soraya (Persian/Spanish), Suraiya and Surayya (Urdu/Arabic), Soraia (Portuguese), Sorayah, and Thurayya (closest to the Arabic form).

Usage spans Iran, the greater Middle East, South Asia, and Iberian and Latin communities. The name entered wider European awareness through Queen Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary of Iran in the 1950s, while the Indian singer–actress Suraiya popularized the South Asian form. Contemporary bearers include Spanish politician Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría and pop singer Soraya Arnelas, sustaining its international appeal. Soraiya, with its extra vowel glide, feels both faithful to the original and fresh in English-speaking contexts.