Soraya

Soraya is a Persian form connected with Arabic Thurayya, the name of the Pleiades. The Pleiades are a cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus, rather than a separate constellation themselves. That astronomical connection gives Soraya a specific celestial image and distinguishes it from names whose light associations are only symbolic.

Soraya offers a longer alternative to Raya, which can also serve as a family nickname. Pronunciation varies across languages, particularly in the middle vowel and the placement of emphasis, so a family’s preferred version matters. Thurayya preserves a different language form of the same tradition, while Aurora shares a sky-related theme without sharing Soraya’s origin.