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Alaya

girl name
Origin
Sanskrit
Syllables
3
Peak era
2020s
Today
▲ Rising

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Meaning

matches Sanskrit ālaya, "dwelling, abode"; also a modern form of Alayah, probably linked to Aaliyah ("high, lofty, sublime")

The story

As a modern English name, Alaya is a form of Alayah, which is probably connected in turn with Aaliyah. Aaliyah is the feminine of Arabic Aali, meaning "high", "lofty" or "sublime". Because the link through Alayah is only probable, this meaning is uncertain for Alaya.

Alaya also resembles the Sanskrit word ālaya, "dwelling" or "abode". In the Indian Buddhist tradition called Yogacara, it appears in the idea of a "storehouse consciousness". In that teaching, things people do deliberately leave effects, described as seeds, that can shape later experience. The teaching explains how actions continue to have consequences. A Sanskrit association does not mean every modern Alaya was named through this tradition.

The nearby spelling Alaia has different histories too. Basque Alaia means "joyful" or "happy", while a separate modern English Alaia is probably related to Alayah. The Basque meaning therefore cannot simply be carried over to Alaya.

More names with stories →

How popular is Alaya around the world?

In the United States, 5,044 babies were named Alaya between 2020 and 2025. In Puerto Rico, 7 babies were named Alaya in 2025, and 81 have carried the name since 1998.

Alaya is on the official records of the United States, Puerto Rico, England and Wales, Scotland, Canada, Austria, Ireland, France, Argentina, South Australia, Mexico City, Poland, Chile, Spain and Brazil.

United States

1 in 4,300

In the United States, 5,044 babies were named Alaya between 2020 and 2025.

1890speak 2020s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Alaya peaked in the 2020s.

Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

See the full list for the United States →

Puerto Rico

1 in 2,600

In Puerto Rico, 7 babies were named Alaya in 2025, and 81 have carried the name since 1998.

1998peak 20152025

share of that year’s births on record

First given name only, from Social Security records of births in Puerto Rico; any name-sex-year under 5 births is withheld at source. Shares divide by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry’s count of births on the island; the 2025 count is provisional. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, territory name file (Puerto Rico)

See the full list for Puerto Rico →

England and Wales

1 in 3,100

In England and Wales, 188 girls named Alaya were born in 2025, the 248th most common name among girls that year.

1996peak 2024

share of that year’s name registrations

Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales

See the full list for England and Wales →

Scotland

1 in 3,500

In Scotland, 13 girls named Alaya were registered in 2024, the 275th most common name among girls that year.

2010peak 2023

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names

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Canada

1 in 5,300

In Canada, 69 girls named Alaya were born in 2024, the 430th most common name among girls that year.

1991peak 2020

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)

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Austria

1 in 9,500

In Austria, 8 girls named Alaya were born in 2025, the 566th most common name among girls that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.
The count never rose above 8 in a year, too few to chart.

Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)

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Ireland

1 in 14,000

In Ireland, 4 girls named Alaya were born in 2025, the 718th most common name among girls that year.
The count never rose above 8 in a year, too few to chart.

Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names

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France

1 in 14,000

In France, about 45 girls named Alaya were born in 2025, the 844th most common name among girls that year.

2000peak 2025

share of that year’s births on record

Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)

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Argentina

1 in 15,000

In Argentina, 43 newborns were given the name Alaya in 2024.

2012peak 2024

share of that year’s name registrations

Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024

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South Australia

1 in 18,000 · 2017

In South Australia, 1 girl was registered as Alaya in 2017.
The count never rose above 1 in a year, too few to chart.

Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names

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Mexico City City

1 in 24,000

In Mexico City, there were 5 registrations of Alaya in 2022.
The count never rose above 5 in a year, too few to chart.

Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023, a partial extract through 3 Mar with no cell on record for this name, is excluded. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023

See the full list for Mexico City →

Poland

1 in 62,000

In Poland, 4 girls named Alaya were born in 2025, the 498th most common name among girls that year.
The count never rose above 4 in a year, too few to chart.

First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)

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Chile

1 in 89,000

In Chile, 2 girls were registered as Alaya in 2021, every accent spelling counted together.
The count never rose above 5 in a year, too few to chart.

First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021

See the full list for Chile →

Spain

1 in 250,000

In Spain, 176 residents are named Alaya, ranked 4,930th among women, with a mean age of 6.6 years.

Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025

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Brazil

At the 2022 census, 24 people in Brazil were named Alaya, ranked 109,849th, with a median age of 4.

People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022

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Montevideo City

last on record 1997

Alaya is not on the 2011 record for Montevideo, whose registry withholds nothing, so the spelling was not given there that year.
The count never rose above 1 in a year, too few to chart.

Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial

See the full list for Montevideo →

New Zealand

last on record 2023

Alaya is not on the 2025 record for New Zealand, where names under 10 in a year are excluded at source.

2020peak 20232025

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time

See the full list for New Zealand →

Not on Norway’s list: Statistics Norway lists only first names carried by 200 or more living people, so rarer names are not shown.

All records: the most popular baby names around the world →

When you meet Alaya

Most people given the name Alaya in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Alaya

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Keep exploring

Names like Alaya

The Alaya deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Alaya truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Alaya fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

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