Kaniyah
Girl name · #2986 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Kaniyah? In official American birth records, Kaniyah has been tracked continuously since 1996, giving it 29 years of documented American history.
Kaniyah is currently the #2986 girl name in the United States — 56 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2236, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 32,143 girls born in 2025 was named Kaniyah.
Babies named Kaniyah per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 29-year story
Kaniyah first appears in the Social Security records in 1996, when 8 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2010, when 147 girls were named Kaniyah — good for #1521 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 Kaniyah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kaniyah in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Kaniyah is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Kaniyah will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kaniyah is most common
State-level data for Kaniyah is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Kaniyah
Statistically, parents drawn to Kaniyah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Khaliyah, Makiyah, Anaiyah, Raniyah, and Jamiyah.
KhaliyahMakiyahAnaiyahRaniyahJamiyahDaniyahLaniyahMariyah
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kaniyah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 56 | #2957 |
| 2024 | 37 | #3963 |
| 2023 | 54 | #3047 |
| 2022 | 92 | #2087 |
| 2021 | 77 | #2345 |
| 2020 | 70 | #2468 |
| 2019 | 81 | #2249 |
| 2018 | 81 | #2254 |
| 2017 | 76 | #2384 |
| 2016 | 88 | #2188 |
| 2015 | 84 | #2236 |
| 2014 | 87 | #2176 |
| 2013 | 87 | #2152 |
| 2012 | 118 | #1744 |
| 2011 | 122 | #1708 |
| 2010 | 147 | #1521 |
| 2009 | 133 | #1676 |
| 2008 | 131 | #1704 |
| 2007 | 133 | #1666 |
| 2006 | 140 | #1552 |
| 2005 | 122 | #1639 |
| 2004 | 102 | #1855 |
| 2003 | 78 | #2203 |
| 2002 | 56 | #2709 |
| 2001 | 48 | #2963 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Kaniyah?
In official American birth records, the name Kaniyah first appeared in 1996 (over 29 years ago), when 8 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 29 years.
Is Kaniyah a popular girl name?
Kaniyah ranked #2986 among girls in 2025 with 56 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2236.
When was the name Kaniyah most popular?
Kaniyah peaked in 2010, when 147 American girls received the name (ranked #1521 that year). Since 2010 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kaniyah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 32,143 newborn American girls was named Kaniyah. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.