Alaya
Girl name · #368 in 2025 · Uniqueness 55/100
Alaya is currently the #368 girl name in the United States — 834 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #728, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,158 girls born in 2025 was named Alaya.
The 46-year story
Alaya first appears in the Social Security records in 1979, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2020, when 915 girls were named Alaya — good for #338 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.
Babies named Alaya per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Alaya against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Alaya in class?
Alaya scores 55 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Alaya is most common
Geography matters for names, and Alaya is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Alayas were TX (88), CA (86), FL (71), NY (44), PA (42). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Alaya
Statistically, parents drawn to Alaya tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Anaya, Raya, Araya, Aya, and Amaya.
AnayaRayaArayaAyaAmayaInayaAvayaAriya
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Alaya | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 834 | #368 |
| 2024 | 866 | #362 |
| 2023 | 746 | #409 |
| 2022 | 795 | #393 |
| 2021 | 888 | #350 |
| 2020 | 915 | #338 |
| 2019 | 782 | #394 |
| 2018 | 487 | #616 |
| 2017 | 452 | #659 |
| 2016 | 408 | #703 |
| 2015 | 389 | #728 |
| 2014 | 347 | #805 |
| 2013 | 338 | #800 |
| 2012 | 328 | #817 |
| 2011 | 292 | #893 |
| 2010 | 242 | #1030 |
| 2009 | 300 | #907 |
| 2008 | 236 | #1100 |
| 2007 | 186 | #1308 |
| 2006 | 198 | #1212 |
| 2005 | 161 | #1350 |
| 2004 | 117 | #1654 |
| 2003 | 118 | #1625 |
| 2002 | 96 | #1853 |
| 2001 | 127 | #1476 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Alaya a popular girl name?
Alaya ranked #368 among girls in 2025 with 834 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #728.
When was the name Alaya most popular?
Alaya peaked in 2020, when 915 American girls received the name (ranked #338 that year). Since 2020 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Alaya?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,158 newborn American girls was named Alaya. It scores 55/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.