Soraya comes from the Persian and Arabic form of the Pleiades, linking the name to a bright star cluster.
Soraya is the Persian form of Thurayya, a name associated with the Pleiades star cluster. Its roots are celestial, and that gives the name one of its lasting charms: it feels both intimate and expansive, a human name with the sky folded into it. As it moved across languages, Soraya became established not only in Persian but also in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and other traditions, often retaining its sense of radiance and elegance.
Few names carry such a clear association with brightness and the night sky. Its modern international fame owes much to Princess Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary, the second wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. In the mid-20th century she became a figure of glamour and tragedy, and her visibility helped introduce the name to Europe and the wider West.
Since then, Soraya has come to sound sophisticated, cosmopolitan, and romantic, especially in places where Persian and Arabic-influenced names have entered broader use. It also appears in literature, music, and film as a name chosen for beauty and mystique. Over time, Soraya has evolved from a culturally specific Persian classic into a truly international name, one that still keeps its original starlit aura.