Nayeli
Girl name · #271 in 2025 · Distinctive
In 2025, 1,151 baby girls were named Nayeli, placing it at #271 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #458, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,564 girls born in 2025 was named Nayeli.
The 48-year story
Nayeli first appears in the Social Security records in 1977, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2001, when 1,845 girls were named Nayeli — good for #175 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 Nayeli per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Nayeli against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nayeli in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Nayeli 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 Nayeli is most common
Geography matters for names, and Nayeli is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Nayeli is most common in NM (3 per 1,000), AZ (1.8 per 1,000), NV (1.7 per 1,000), OK (1.4 per 1,000), CO (1.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.9 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Nayeli is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Nayeli
Statistically, parents drawn to Nayeli tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Yareli, Araceli, Sarai, Fatima, and Anahi.
YareliAraceliSaraiFatimaAnahiDelaneyMarianaNatalia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nayeli | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,151 | #270 |
| 2024 | 964 | #318 |
| 2023 | 931 | #333 |
| 2022 | 957 | #337 |
| 2021 | 817 | #383 |
| 2020 | 724 | #424 |
| 2019 | 738 | #433 |
| 2018 | 755 | #410 |
| 2017 | 629 | #497 |
| 2016 | 670 | #474 |
| 2015 | 692 | #458 |
| 2014 | 810 | #402 |
| 2013 | 773 | #398 |
| 2012 | 849 | #368 |
| 2011 | 827 | #382 |
| 2010 | 823 | #387 |
| 2009 | 866 | #371 |
| 2008 | 947 | #352 |
| 2007 | 869 | #378 |
| 2006 | 809 | #397 |
| 2005 | 844 | #371 |
| 2004 | 792 | #391 |
| 2003 | 699 | #432 |
| 2002 | 1,208 | #262 |
| 2001 | 1,845 | #175 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Nayeli a popular girl name?
Nayeli ranked #271 among girls in 2025 with 1,151 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #458.
When was the name Nayeli most popular?
Nayeli peaked in 2001, when 1,845 American girls received the name (ranked #175 that year). Since 2001 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nayeli?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,564 newborn American girls was named Nayeli. 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.