Alaya
Girl name · #368 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Alaya? In official American birth records, Alaya has been tracked continuously since 1979, giving it 46 years of documented American history.
Alaya is currently the #368 girl name in the United States — 834 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #728, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,158 girls born in 2025 was named Alaya.
The 46-year story
Alaya first appears in the Social Security records in 1979, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2020, when 915 girls were named Alaya — good for #338 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 Alaya per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Alaya against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Alaya in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Alaya 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 Alaya is most common
Geography matters for names, and Alaya is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Alaya is most common in LA (1.2 per 1,000), MD (1 per 1,000), AR (0.9 per 1,000), KY (0.9 per 1,000), PA (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 Alaya is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Alaya
Statistically, parents drawn to Alaya tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Anaya, Raya, Araya, Aya, and Amaya.
AnayaRayaArayaAyaAmayaInayaAvayaAriya
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Alaya | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 834 | #368 |
| 2024 | 866 | #362 |
| 2023 | 746 | #409 |
| 2022 | 795 | #393 |
| 2021 | 888 | #350 |
| 2020 | 915 | #338 |
| 2019 | 782 | #394 |
| 2018 | 487 | #616 |
| 2017 | 452 | #659 |
| 2016 | 408 | #703 |
| 2015 | 389 | #728 |
| 2014 | 347 | #805 |
| 2013 | 338 | #800 |
| 2012 | 328 | #817 |
| 2011 | 292 | #893 |
| 2010 | 242 | #1030 |
| 2009 | 300 | #907 |
| 2008 | 236 | #1100 |
| 2007 | 186 | #1308 |
| 2006 | 198 | #1212 |
| 2005 | 161 | #1350 |
| 2004 | 117 | #1654 |
| 2003 | 118 | #1625 |
| 2002 | 96 | #1853 |
| 2001 | 127 | #1476 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Alaya?
In official American birth records, the name Alaya first appeared in 1979 (over 46 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 46 years.
Is Alaya a popular girl name?
Alaya ranked #368 among girls in 2025 with 834 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #728.
When was the name Alaya most popular?
Alaya peaked in 2020, when 915 American girls received the name (ranked #338 that year). Since 2020 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Alaya?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,158 newborn American girls was named Alaya. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.