Alayah
Alayah was the 412th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 756 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 278th with 1,136 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 160 places. More babies were named Alayah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Alaia) joyful (Basque) · Basque
- Rank in 2025
- #412 girls, down 134 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 756girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20201,136 babies
- Total since 1880
- 12,228babies recorded
What does the name Alayah mean?
Alayah is a spelling of Alaia, pronounced the same way, so it shares Alaia's meaning and origin.
Alaia is a Basque girl's name from alai, 'joyful, cheerful', and Wiktionary says it was borrowed into English use in the 21st century. Wiktionary also notes that earlier English uses may instead echo Hebrew aliyah, 'ascent', or Arabic aaliya, 'high, exalted'. Separately, alaia is the Hawaiian name of a traditional wooden surfboard, as Wikipedia notes, but that is not the source of the name.
alai (Basque, “joyful, cheerful”)
How sure is this? Probable. The modern name is mainly the Basque one; similar-sounding Hebrew and Arabic words may lie behind some uses.
Related names: Alaya, Alaiya, Aaliyah.
See also: names that mean joy.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alaia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Alaia', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Alayah popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #412 | 756 |
| 2020 | #278 | 1,136 |
| 2010 | #847 | 317 |
| 2000 | #2,593 | 57 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alayah, counting every spelling?
Alayah is a spelling of Alaia, a name family that ranked #57 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #412 for Alayah on its own. Together these spellings went to 4,490 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaia | 2,318 | #117 | 11,352 |
| Alayah | 756 | #412 | 4,171 |
| Alaya | 834 | #368 | 4,129 |
| Aleia | 279 | #933 | 1,225 |
| Alaiah | 121 | #1,692 | 550 |
| Aalayah | 54 | #3,028 | 296 |
| Aleiah | 44 | #3,462 | 211 |
| Alaiia | 41 | #3,646 | 166 |
| Aalaya | 15 | #7,133 | 64 |
| Allayah | 11 | #8,893 | 57 |
| Alleia | 17 | #6,558 | 32 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Alayah?
756 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alayah (0.21 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Alayah born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alayah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alayah?
About 12,100 people born in the US named Alayah are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 4 and 13. That makes Alayah a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Alayah by state
How common Alayah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (3.8×), Nevada (2.4×), Mississippi (2.2×), South Carolina (2.0×), Michigan (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Utah, Minnesota, Kansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alayah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alayah, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Alayah
What does Alayah mean?
Alayah is a spelling of Alaia, which means “joyful (Basque)” (Basque origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Alayah?
Alayah was the 412th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 756 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 278th with 1,136 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 160 places. More babies were named Alayah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Alayah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Alayah in the US.
Where is Alayah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alayah was most common in New Mexico (1.97 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nevada and Mississippi.