Aaliyah
Girl name · #101 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Aaliyah? In official American birth records, Aaliyah has been tracked continuously since 1976, giving it 49 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 2,607 baby girls were named Aaliyah, placing it at #101 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #47, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 690 girls born in 2025 was named Aaliyah.
Babies named Aaliyah per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 49-year story
Aaliyah first appears in the Social Security records in 1976, when 18 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2012, when 5,523 girls were named Aaliyah — good for #36 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Aaliyah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Aaliyah in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Aaliyah is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Aaliyah is most common
Geography matters for names, and Aaliyah is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Aaliyah is most common in DE (5.8 per 1,000), NM (5.1 per 1,000), NV (4 per 1,000), AZ (3.3 per 1,000), SD (3.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Aaliyah is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Aaliyah
Statistically, parents drawn to Aaliyah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Aliyah, Ariana, Kaliyah, Audrey, and Aubrey.
AliyahArianaKaliyahAudreyAubreyAddisonKennedyBrooklyn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Aaliyah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,607 | #101 |
| 2024 | 2,712 | #95 |
| 2023 | 2,858 | #85 |
| 2022 | 3,286 | #69 |
| 2021 | 3,619 | #61 |
| 2020 | 3,584 | #65 |
| 2019 | 3,675 | #70 |
| 2018 | 3,845 | #65 |
| 2017 | 4,197 | #57 |
| 2016 | 4,660 | #53 |
| 2015 | 4,884 | #47 |
| 2014 | 4,902 | #45 |
| 2013 | 5,246 | #37 |
| 2012 | 5,523 | #36 |
| 2011 | 5,129 | #46 |
| 2010 | 4,673 | #56 |
| 2009 | 4,378 | #63 |
| 2008 | 4,046 | #76 |
| 2007 | 3,961 | #83 |
| 2006 | 3,745 | #90 |
| 2005 | 3,459 | #93 |
| 2004 | 3,492 | #94 |
| 2003 | 3,673 | #90 |
| 2002 | 4,779 | #64 |
| 2001 | 3,352 | #96 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Aaliyah?
In official American birth records, the name Aaliyah first appeared in 1976 (over 49 years ago), when 18 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 49 years.
Is Aaliyah a popular girl name?
Aaliyah ranked #101 among girls in 2025 with 2,607 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #47.
When was the name Aaliyah most popular?
Aaliyah peaked in 2012, when 5,523 American girls received the name (ranked #36 that year). Since 2012 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Aaliyah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 690 newborn American girls was named Aaliyah. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.