Aliyah

Aliyah is both a name and a concept. It comes from the Arabic name “Ali,” which means “rising" or "ascending.” As a name, it’s a version of “Aaliyah” and is pronounced ah-LEE-ya; as a concept it refers to the immigration of Jews to Israel. While it’s on the charts, a different spelling, Aaliyah, is preferred by American parents, which is how the pop singer Aaliyah Haughton (who went by just her first name professionally) spelled her name.