Chaya
Girl name · #589 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Chaya? In official American birth records, Chaya has been tracked continuously since 1947, giving it 78 years of documented American history.
Chaya is currently the #589 girl name in the United States — 499 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #743, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,607 girls born in 2025 was named Chaya.
The 78-year story
Chaya first appears in the Social Security records in 1947, when 9 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 504 babies and a rank of #599. 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 Chaya per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Chaya against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Chaya in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Chaya 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 Chaya is most common
Geography matters for names, and Chaya is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Chaya is most common in NJ (4.1 per 1,000), NY (3.5 per 1,000), PA (0.3 per 1,000), FL (0.1 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Chaya is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Chaya
Statistically, parents drawn to Chaya tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Soraya, Aya, Anaya, Araya, and Chana.
SorayaAyaAnayaArayaChanaNayaInayaMalaya
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Chaya | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 499 | #587 |
| 2024 | 504 | #599 |
| 2023 | 494 | #602 |
| 2022 | 503 | #595 |
| 2021 | 461 | #645 |
| 2020 | 434 | #662 |
| 2019 | 443 | #660 |
| 2018 | 469 | #638 |
| 2017 | 422 | #691 |
| 2016 | 405 | #707 |
| 2015 | 379 | #743 |
| 2014 | 416 | #681 |
| 2013 | 405 | #698 |
| 2012 | 406 | #692 |
| 2011 | 393 | #708 |
| 2010 | 384 | #729 |
| 2009 | 402 | #720 |
| 2008 | 403 | #740 |
| 2007 | 409 | #715 |
| 2006 | 369 | #751 |
| 2005 | 373 | #726 |
| 2004 | 349 | #751 |
| 2003 | 321 | #771 |
| 2002 | 357 | #701 |
| 2001 | 290 | #810 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Chaya?
In official American birth records, the name Chaya first appeared in 1947 (over 78 years ago), when 9 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 78 years.
Is Chaya a popular girl name?
Chaya ranked #589 among girls in 2025 with 499 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #743.
When was the name Chaya most popular?
Chaya peaked in 2024, when 504 American girls received the name (ranked #599 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Chaya?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,607 newborn American girls was named Chaya. 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.