Alayah
Girl name · #412 in 2025 · Distinctive
Alayah is currently the #412 girl name in the United States — 756 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #572, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,381 girls born in 2025 was named Alayah.
The 33-year story
Alayah first appears in the Social Security records in 1992, when 10 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2020, when 1,136 girls were named Alayah — good for #278 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 Alayah per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Alayah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Alayah in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Alayah is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Alayah is most common
Geography matters for names, and Alayah is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Alayah is most common in NV (1.5 per 1,000), SC (1 per 1,000), MI (0.8 per 1,000), FL (0.8 per 1,000), OH (0.8 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Alayah is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Alayah
Statistically, parents drawn to Alayah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ariyah, Amayah, Amiyah, Zariyah, and Sariyah.
AriyahAmayahAmiyahZariyahSariyahAnayahKaliyahAmirah
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Alayah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 756 | #412 |
| 2024 | 752 | #416 |
| 2023 | 793 | #386 |
| 2022 | 866 | #367 |
| 2021 | 1,004 | #325 |
| 2020 | 1,136 | #278 |
| 2019 | 899 | #351 |
| 2018 | 592 | #530 |
| 2017 | 578 | #534 |
| 2016 | 580 | #536 |
| 2015 | 537 | #572 |
| 2014 | 553 | #557 |
| 2013 | 463 | #605 |
| 2012 | 424 | #668 |
| 2011 | 373 | #740 |
| 2010 | 317 | #847 |
| 2009 | 262 | #1007 |
| 2008 | 232 | #1113 |
| 2007 | 202 | #1230 |
| 2006 | 153 | #1454 |
| 2005 | 138 | #1508 |
| 2004 | 105 | #1811 |
| 2003 | 90 | #2001 |
| 2002 | 92 | #1915 |
| 2001 | 66 | #2379 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Alayah a popular girl name?
Alayah ranked #412 among girls in 2025 with 756 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #572.
When was the name Alayah most popular?
Alayah peaked in 2020, when 1,136 American girls received the name (ranked #278 that year). Since 2020 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Alayah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,381 newborn American girls was named Alayah. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it 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.