Aaliyah
Girl name · #101 in 2025 · Uniqueness 52/100
In 2025, 2,607 baby girls were named Aaliyah, placing it at #101 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #47, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 690 girls born in 2025 was named Aaliyah.
Babies named Aaliyah per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 49-year story
Aaliyah first appears in the Social Security records in 1976, when 18 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2012, when 5,523 girls were named Aaliyah — good for #36 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Aaliyah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Aaliyah in class?
Aaliyah scores 52 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 Aaliyah is most common
Geography matters for names, and Aaliyah is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Aaliyahs were CA (442), TX (372), FL (196), NY (122), AZ (94). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Aaliyah
Statistically, parents drawn to Aaliyah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Aliyah, Ariana, Kaliyah, Audrey, and Aubrey.
AliyahArianaKaliyahAudreyAubreyAddisonKennedyBrooklyn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Aaliyah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,607 | #101 |
| 2024 | 2,712 | #95 |
| 2023 | 2,858 | #85 |
| 2022 | 3,286 | #69 |
| 2021 | 3,619 | #61 |
| 2020 | 3,584 | #65 |
| 2019 | 3,675 | #70 |
| 2018 | 3,845 | #65 |
| 2017 | 4,197 | #57 |
| 2016 | 4,660 | #53 |
| 2015 | 4,884 | #47 |
| 2014 | 4,902 | #45 |
| 2013 | 5,246 | #37 |
| 2012 | 5,523 | #36 |
| 2011 | 5,129 | #46 |
| 2010 | 4,673 | #56 |
| 2009 | 4,378 | #63 |
| 2008 | 4,046 | #76 |
| 2007 | 3,961 | #83 |
| 2006 | 3,745 | #90 |
| 2005 | 3,459 | #93 |
| 2004 | 3,492 | #94 |
| 2003 | 3,673 | #90 |
| 2002 | 4,779 | #64 |
| 2001 | 3,352 | #96 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Aaliyah a popular girl name?
Aaliyah ranked #101 among girls in 2025 with 2,607 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #47.
When was the name Aaliyah most popular?
Aaliyah peaked in 2012, when 5,523 American girls received the name (ranked #36 that year). Since 2012 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Aaliyah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 690 newborn American girls was named Aaliyah. It scores 52/100 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.