Raya
Girl name · #369 in 2025 · Distinctive
In 2025, 831 baby girls were named Raya, placing it at #369 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1209, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,166 girls born in 2025 was named Raya.
Babies named Raya per year. Source: SSA.
The 67-year story
Raya first appears in the Social Security records in 1958, when 5 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 867 babies and a rank of #353. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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 Raya against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Raya in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Raya 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 Raya is most common
Geography matters for names, and Raya is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Raya is most common in ID (1.4 per 1,000), WA (1.1 per 1,000), OR (1 per 1,000), OK (0.9 per 1,000), IA (0.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Raya is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Raya
Statistically, parents drawn to Raya tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Alaya, Inaya, Anaya, Aya, and Reya.
AlayaInayaAnayaAyaReyaNayaArayaZaya
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Raya | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 831 | #369 |
| 2024 | 861 | #364 |
| 2023 | 867 | #353 |
| 2022 | 784 | #400 |
| 2021 | 636 | #495 |
| 2020 | 277 | #932 |
| 2019 | 239 | #1061 |
| 2018 | 216 | #1130 |
| 2017 | 249 | #1036 |
| 2016 | 237 | #1088 |
| 2015 | 206 | #1209 |
| 2014 | 197 | #1235 |
| 2013 | 199 | #1203 |
| 2012 | 185 | #1288 |
| 2011 | 191 | #1250 |
| 2010 | 168 | #1379 |
| 2009 | 158 | #1469 |
| 2008 | 154 | #1508 |
| 2007 | 126 | #1726 |
| 2006 | 125 | #1682 |
| 2005 | 108 | #1803 |
| 2004 | 98 | #1909 |
| 2003 | 105 | #1786 |
| 2002 | 61 | #2554 |
| 2001 | 58 | #2600 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Raya a popular girl name?
Raya ranked #369 among girls in 2025 with 831 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #1209.
When was the name Raya most popular?
Raya peaked in 2023, when 867 American girls received the name (ranked #353 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Raya?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,166 newborn American girls was named Raya. 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.