Soraya () is a feminine Arabic and

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

name. It is derived from the

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

name for the

Pleiades The Pleiades (), also known as Seven Sisters and Messier 45 (M45), is an Asterism (astronomy), asterism of an open cluster, open star cluster containing young Stellar classification#Class B, B-type stars in the northwest of the constellation Tau ...

star cluster, ''Thurayyā'' or ''Suraya'' (). The name, also spelled Zoraya, is used in Spain and throughout the Spanish-speaking world with an origin in

Al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

. One historical example is Isabel de Solís, one of the final princesses of the Nasrid dynasty of Granada who converted to Islam and took the name Soraya or Zoraya. The name is also popular in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

due to its association with

Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary (; 22 June 1932 – 25 October 2001) was Queen of Iran as the second wife of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whom she married in 1951. Their marriage suffered many pressures, particularly when it became clear that she w ...

, the second wife of Shah

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980) was the last List of monarchs of Iran, Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 to 1979. He succeeded his father Reza Shah and ruled the Imperial State of Iran until he was overthrown by the ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, who became a European socialite. For phonological reasons, it is usually transcribed as ''Suraya'' in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

and ''Surayo'' in

Tajikistan Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Dushanbe is the capital city, capital and most populous city. Tajikistan borders Afghanistan to the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border, south, Uzbekistan to ...

People

* Isabel de Solís (before 1471-1510), princess of the

Nasrid dynasty The Nasrid dynasty ( ''banū Naṣr'' or ''banū al-Aḥmar''; ) was an Arab dynasty that ruled the Emirate of Granada from 1232 to 1492. It was the last Muslim dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula. Twenty-three sultans ruled Granada from the foun ...

Islamic Spain Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

who converted to Islam from Christianity and took the name Soraya or Zoraya before eventually returning to the use of her Christian name. * Soraya (1969–2006), Colombian-American singer/songwriter * Soraya Alekozei (born 1955), Afghan-German interpreter and veteran *

Soraya Arnelas Soraya Arnelas Rubiales (; born 13 September 1982), better known mononymously as Soraya, is a Spanish singer. Soraya represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow with the song " La noche es para mí", finishing 23rd with 23 point ...

(born 1982), Spanish singer * Soraya Ray Bañas (born 1989), Filipina singer, comedienne and actress better known as Kitkat *Soraya Brigui (born 2005), singer and 2018 finalist of The Voice Kids (Belgium). * Soraya Córdova (born 1959), Mexican politician *

Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary (; 22 June 1932 – 25 October 2001) was Queen of Iran as the second wife of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whom she married in 1951. Their marriage suffered many pressures, particularly when it became clear that she w ...

(1932–2001), second wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran, known during her marriage as Queen Soraya *

Soraya Jiménez Soraya Jiménez Mendivil (a twin sister born 5 August 1977 – 28 March 2013) was a Mexican weightlifter and Olympic champion. She participated at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney where she won a gold medal. Jiménez became the first ev ...

(1977–2013), Mexican weightlifter, first female athlete from Mexico to win an Olympic gold medal *

Soraya Manutchehri ''The Stoning of Soraya M.'' () is a 2008 Persian-language American drama film adapted from French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam's 1990 book ''La Femme Lapidée''. The film is directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh, and stars Academy Award nominee ...

, subject of the 2008 film ''The Stoning of Soraya M.'' *

Soraya Martínez Ferrada Soraya Martínez FerradaBirth certificate of Soraya Marisel Martínez Ferrada, Civil Registry and Identification Service of Chile, 9 June 2022 (born August 28, 1972) is a Chilean-Canadian politician. She was elected as a Member of Parliament ...

(born 1972), Chilean-born Canadian politician *

Soraya Milla Soraya Milla (born 1989), is a French independent filmmaker, film director and film producer. She is of Cameroonian–Beninese descent, and her work often is focused on Black identity and issues of dual culture. She directed two short films ''Ex ...

(born 1989), French filmmaker *

Soraya Moraes Soraya Moraes (born January 29, 1973) is a Brazilian gospel singer. Moraes was born in São Paulo and sang in church as a child. Her professional career began in a band called Metanoya in 1992; their debut album, ''Guerra'', was released in 19 ...

(born 1973), Brazilian singer, four-time Latin Grammy Award winner *

Soraya Peke-Mason Soraya Waiata Peke-Mason is a New Zealand politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party from 2022 to 2023. Early life and career Peke-Mason was born in Tokoroa and grew up in Castlecliff. She ...

(born 1957/1958), New Zealand politician *

Soraya Post Soraya Viola Heléna Post (born 15 October 1956) is a Swedish politician who was a member of European Parliament from Sweden. She is a member of the Feminist Initiative, part of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. Career Pos ...

(born 1956), Swedish politician *

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría María Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría Antón (born 10 June 1971) is a Spanish former politician of the People's Party who served as Deputy Prime Minister of Spain and Minister of the Presidency from 2011 to 2018. She was member of the Congress ...

(born 1971), Spanish politician *

Soraya Saga , also known by her pen name, , is a freelance Japanese illustrator, designer, and video game story writer. Biography Final Fantasy Saga joined Squaresoft as a graphic designer in the early 1990s through an advertisement in ASCII computer magaz ...

(born 1969), Japanese illustrator and video-game story-writer *

Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson () is an American journalist. She was previously an international correspondent for NPR, heading up bureaus in Kabul, Cairo and Berlin during her 13 years with the network. Early life and education Nelson grew up in Milwau ...

, American journalist for National Public Radio * Soraya Serajeddini (1960–2006), Kurdish-Iranian human rights activist *

Soraya Tarzi Soraya Tarzi (Pashto/Dari: ثريا طرزی) (24 November 1899 – 20 April 1968) was Queen of Afghanistan as the wife of King Amanullah Khan. As Queen, she became one of the most influential women in the world at the time. She played a majo ...

(1899–1968), wife of King Amanullah Khan of Afghanistan, known during her marriage as Queen Soraya * Soraya Telles (born 1958), Brazilian former middle-distance runner *

Suraiya Suraiya Jamal Sheikh (15 June 1929 – 31 January 2004), mononymously known as Suraiya, was an Indian actress and playback singer who worked in Hindi films. She is regarded as one of the greatest and finest actresses in the history of Indian c ...

(1929–2004), Indian actress and singer * Suraiya Hasan Bose (1928–2021), Indian textile conservator *

Suraiya Multanikar Suraiya Multanikar (born 1940) is a Pakistani singer mostly known for her folk songs especially kafis. Her repertoire includes classical, semi-classical, ghazal, folk songs, kafis and film songs. Early life and family Multanikar was born i ...

(born 1940), Pakistani singer *

Süreyya Ağaoğlu Süreyya Ağaoğlu (1903 – 29 December 1989) was a Turkish- Azerbaijani writer, jurist, and the first female lawyer in Turkish history.Ghada Talhami. Historical Dictionary of Women in the Middle East and North Africa'. Scarecrow Press; 19 D ...

(1903–1989), first female lawyer in Turkish history

Other

* ''Sorayya'' (newspaper), Persian weekly newspaper published between 1898 and 1900 in Cairo *Soraya, a small lunar crater within Alphonsus * Sooraya Qadir (Dust), a Marvel comic book character from the X-Men series *Soraya, a song on the album ''

Animals as Leaders Animals as Leaders is an American instrumental progressive metal band from Washington D.C. Since 2012, the band has consisted of Tosin Abasi (lead guitar), Javier Reyes (rhythm guitar), and Matt Garstka (drums), having originated in 2007 as a ...

'' by the band of the same name *a

sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae. The common sunflower is harvested for its edible oily seeds, which are often eaten as a snack food. They are also used in the pr ...

variety * Soraya Montenegro, a character in ''

María la del Barrio ''María la del Barrio'' (Literal translation, Lit: ''Maria From the Hood''/English title: ''Humble Maria'') is a Mexican telenovela produced by Angelli Nesma Medina for Televisa in 1995. The series is a remake of ''Los ricos también lloran'' ...

'' portrayed by

Itatí Cantoral Itatí Guadalupe Cantoral Zucchi (born May 13, 1975) is a Mexican actress, singer, dancer, and producer. She is best known for her roles as Soraya Montenegro in ''María la del Barrio'' (1995) and Alejandra Álvarez del Castillo Fernández "La ...

* Suraiya Nagar, village in Madhya Pradesh, India * Soraya (satellite), an Iranian satellite launched in 2024 * ''Soraya'' (wasp), a genus of parasitoid wasp named after entomologist Soraya Alencar

References

{{given name Pakistani feminine given names Persian feminine given names Spanish feminine given names Feminine given names

People

Other

See also

References