Meaning and history
Thurayya is an Arabic feminine name meaning “the Pleiades,” the prominent star cluster in the constellation Taurus. The Pleiades have long served as seasonal and navigational markers and appear throughout Arabic poetry. Variant transliterations include Soraya, Suraya, and Thuraya. The name therefore carries astronomical and literary associations. Notable bearers include Kuwaiti artist and writer Thuraya Al-Baqsami and Bahraini poet Thuraya Al Arrayed; English spellings vary because the name is transliterated from Arabic.