Selah

How to say it

/ˈsɛl.ə/

What it means

Hebrew Selah, a musical or liturgical term used 71 times in the Psalms and 3 times in Habakkuk. Its meaning is disputed — possibly 'pause and consider,' 'lift up,' or a musical direction. The word's mystery is part of its appeal as a given name.

Selah is a Hebrew word that appears 71 times in the Psalms and 3 times in the prophet Habakkuk, always as a parenthetical interjection. Its exact meaning is disputed: some scholars read it as a musical direction ('pause' or 'crescendo'), others as a liturgical instruction ('lift up your voice') or a Hebrew root meaning 'to suspend.' The word's enigmatic quality is part of its appeal. As a given name Selah picked up in the US in the late 2000s with broader Christian-name adoption from the deeper Old Testament; Lauryn Hill's daughter Selah Marley (born 1998) was an early high-profile use. It entered the US top 500 in 2018. Single short forms aren't common.

Heads-up notes

• Pronunciation

  SAY-lah or SEH-lah, two syllables. Both are accepted.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Selah Marley American model and singer, Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley's daughter

Spelling variants

• Sela

Names with the same feeling

• Amara Grace, or 'eternal'
• Aaliyah Exalted, sublime
• Eden Delight, paradise
• Selah Pause, lift up
• Noa Motion, movement

See Selah from another angle