Laya
Girl name · #1542 in 2025 · Uniqueness 55/100
Laya is currently the #1542 girl name in the United States — 137 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1996, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 13,139 girls born in 2025 was named Laya.
Babies named Laya per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 61-year story
Laya first appears in the Social Security records in 1964, when 6 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 137 babies and a rank of #1540. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Laya against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Laya in class?
Laya scores 55 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 Laya is most common
Geography matters for names, and Laya is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Layas were CA (21), TX (19), FL (10), NY (10), VA (8). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Laya
Statistically, parents drawn to Laya tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Haya, Avaya, Liya, Zaya, and Kalaya.
HayaAvayaLiyaZayaKalayaSarayaArayaLeya
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Laya | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 137 | #1540 |
| 2024 | 89 | #2134 |
| 2023 | 97 | #2020 |
| 2022 | 84 | #2228 |
| 2021 | 96 | #2007 |
| 2020 | 100 | #1908 |
| 2019 | 106 | #1888 |
| 2018 | 95 | #2048 |
| 2017 | 86 | #2200 |
| 2016 | 99 | #1996 |
| 2015 | 99 | #1996 |
| 2014 | 84 | #2236 |
| 2013 | 81 | #2279 |
| 2012 | 71 | #2548 |
| 2011 | 77 | #2395 |
| 2010 | 83 | #2296 |
| 2009 | 71 | #2592 |
| 2008 | 57 | #3017 |
| 2007 | 55 | #3125 |
| 2006 | 49 | #3316 |
| 2005 | 43 | #3461 |
| 2004 | 32 | #4287 |
| 2003 | 40 | #3532 |
| 2002 | 24 | #4906 |
| 2001 | 20 | #5570 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Laya a popular girl name?
Laya ranked #1542 among girls in 2025 with 137 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1996.
When was the name Laya most popular?
Laya peaked in 2025, when 137 American girls received the name (ranked #1540 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Laya?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 13,139 newborn American girls was named Laya. It scores 55/100 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.