Raya
Girl name · #369 in 2025 · Uniqueness 23/100
In 2025, 831 baby girls were named Raya, placing it at #369 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1209, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,166 girls born in 2025 was named Raya.
Babies named Raya per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 67-year story
Raya first appears in the Social Security records in 1958, when 5 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 867 babies and a rank of #353. 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 Raya against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Raya in class?
Raya scores 23 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "popular" band. A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Raya is most common
Geography matters for names, and Raya is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Rayas were CA (108), TX (67), FL (48), NY (46), PA (34). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Raya
Statistically, parents drawn to Raya tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Alaya, Inaya, Anaya, Aya, and Reya.
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Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Raya | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 831 | #369 |
| 2024 | 861 | #364 |
| 2023 | 867 | #353 |
| 2022 | 784 | #400 |
| 2021 | 636 | #495 |
| 2020 | 277 | #932 |
| 2019 | 239 | #1061 |
| 2018 | 216 | #1130 |
| 2017 | 249 | #1036 |
| 2016 | 237 | #1088 |
| 2015 | 206 | #1209 |
| 2014 | 197 | #1235 |
| 2013 | 199 | #1203 |
| 2012 | 185 | #1288 |
| 2011 | 191 | #1250 |
| 2010 | 168 | #1379 |
| 2009 | 158 | #1469 |
| 2008 | 154 | #1508 |
| 2007 | 126 | #1726 |
| 2006 | 125 | #1682 |
| 2005 | 108 | #1803 |
| 2004 | 98 | #1909 |
| 2003 | 105 | #1786 |
| 2002 | 61 | #2554 |
| 2001 | 58 | #2600 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Raya a popular girl name?
Raya ranked #369 among girls in 2025 with 831 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #1209.
When was the name Raya most popular?
Raya peaked in 2023, when 867 American girls received the name (ranked #353 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Raya?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,166 newborn American girls was named Raya. It scores 23/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "popular".
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.