The name "Siraya" came from scholars during the era of Japanese occupation, who adapted the pronunciation of the Sirayan term for "I."
西拉雅的命名，來自日據時代學者採該民族語言中「我」的發音。在東印度公司的《巴達維亞城日記》、荷蘭官方文書《熱蘭遮城日記》，及由荷蘭傳教士以羅馬拼音記錄西拉雅族語的「新港文書」，都載有西拉雅族的風俗習慣。