Zalayah
Girl name · #2536 in 2025 · Uniqueness 59/100
Zalayah ranks #2536 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 70 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #4403, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 25,714 girls born in 2025 was named Zalayah.
The 23-year story
Zalayah first appears in the Social Security records in 2002, when 6 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 83 babies and a rank of #2253. 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 Zalayah per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Zalayah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Zalayah in class?
Zalayah scores 59 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 Zalayah is most common
Geography matters for names, and Zalayah is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Zalayahs were NC (8), FL (7), CA (6), TX (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Zalayah
Statistically, parents drawn to Zalayah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Zuriyah, Zaliyah, Serayah, Riyah, and Zarayah.
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Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Zalayah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 70 | #2514 |
| 2024 | 77 | #2362 |
| 2023 | 76 | #2379 |
| 2022 | 83 | #2253 |
| 2021 | 78 | #2327 |
| 2020 | 50 | #3141 |
| 2019 | 38 | #3851 |
| 2018 | 43 | #3559 |
| 2017 | 43 | #3552 |
| 2016 | 29 | #4734 |
| 2015 | 32 | #4403 |
| 2014 | 20 | #6207 |
| 2013 | 18 | #6729 |
| 2012 | 20 | #6341 |
| 2011 | 12 | #9150 |
| 2010 | 13 | #8701 |
| 2009 | 18 | #7066 |
| 2008 | 8 | #12579 |
| 2007 | 7 | #13924 |
| 2005 | 9 | #10921 |
| 2002 | 6 | #13595 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Zalayah a popular girl name?
Zalayah ranked #2536 among girls in 2025 with 70 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4403.
When was the name Zalayah most popular?
Zalayah peaked in 2022, when 83 American girls received the name (ranked #2253 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Zalayah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 25,714 newborn American girls was named Zalayah. It scores 59/100 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.