Laya
Girl name · #1542 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Laya? In official American birth records, Laya has been tracked continuously since 1964, giving it 61 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
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?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Laya is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Laya will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Laya is most common
Geography matters for names, and Laya is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Laya is most common in CA (0.1 per 1,000), NY (0.1 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000), FL (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Laya is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
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
How old is the name Laya?
In official American birth records, the name Laya first appeared in 1964 (over 61 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 61 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.