Yemaya
Girl name · #4509 in 2025 · Uniqueness 84/100
In 2025, 31 baby girls were named Yemaya, placing it at #4509 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #6721, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 58,065 girls born in 2025 was named Yemaya.
The 34-year story
Yemaya first appears in the Social Security records in 1991, when 5 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 57 babies and a rank of #2936. 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.
Babies named Yemaya per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Yemaya against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Yemaya in class?
Yemaya scores 84 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Yemaya will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Yemaya is most common
State-level data for Yemaya is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Yemaya
Statistically, parents drawn to Yemaya tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Analaya, Zaraya, Zalaya, Enaya, and Nalaya.
AnalayaZarayaZalayaEnayaNalayaAdalayaMirayaInaaya
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Yemaya | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 31 | #4460 |
| 2024 | 42 | #3639 |
| 2023 | 57 | #2936 |
| 2022 | 51 | #3171 |
| 2021 | 49 | #3250 |
| 2020 | 39 | #3735 |
| 2019 | 33 | #4260 |
| 2018 | 24 | #5315 |
| 2017 | 21 | #5821 |
| 2016 | 19 | #6401 |
| 2015 | 18 | #6721 |
| 2014 | 6 | #14558 |
| 2013 | 9 | #11000 |
| 2012 | 6 | #14962 |
| 2011 | 10 | #10374 |
| 2010 | 10 | #10451 |
| 2009 | 11 | #9975 |
| 2008 | 6 | #15405 |
| 2007 | 10 | #10818 |
| 2006 | 7 | #13606 |
| 2005 | 8 | #11834 |
| 2000 | 5 | #15031 |
| 1999 | 6 | #12688 |
| 1997 | 7 | #10836 |
| 1996 | 5 | #13518 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Yemaya a popular girl name?
Yemaya ranked #4509 among girls in 2025 with 31 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #6721.
When was the name Yemaya most popular?
Yemaya peaked in 2023, when 57 American girls received the name (ranked #2936 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Yemaya?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 58,065 newborn American girls was named Yemaya. It scores 84/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
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.