Ayah
Ayah was the 870th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 309 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 652 places. More babies were named Ayah in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Aya) several origins (Japanese, Akkadian goddess) · Japanese, Akkadian
- Rank in 2025
- #870 girls, up 236 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 309girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025309 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,814babies recorded
What does the name Ayah mean?
Ayah is a spelling of Aya, pronounced the same way, so it shares Aya's meaning and origin.
Aya has several unrelated sources. In Japanese it is a girls' name, and Wiktionary records the English use as borrowed from Japanese Aya; like most Japanese names, its meaning depends on the characters used. In Akkadian mythology Aya was a mother goddess, consort of the sun god Shamash, and a distant dwarf planet is named after her. Other uses of Aya exist, but our sources do not document their meanings. In the US it has been used since the 1970s.
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several independent sources; no single meaning applies.
See also: Japanese names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Aya' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Aya' (French section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Ayah popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 2020.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #870 | 309 |
| 2020 | #1,106 | 221 |
| 2010 | #1,605 | 135 |
| 2000 | #1,762 | 99 |
| 1990 | #4,879 | 19 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ayah, counting every spelling?
Ayah is a spelling of Aya, a name family that ranked #413 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #870 for Ayah on its own. Together these spellings went to 800 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aya | 449 | #644 | 2,072 |
| Ayah | 309 | #870 | 1,323 |
| Aayah | 6 | #13,215 | 38 |
| Aia | 8 | #10,952 | 28 |
| Aiah | 28 | #4,761 | 28 |
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 Ayah?
309 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ayah (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ayah 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 27 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ayah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ayah?
About 4,800 people born in the US named Ayah are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 5 and 21. That makes Ayah 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.
Ayah by state
How common Ayah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Michigan (3.0×), Minnesota (2.9×), Virginia (2.2×), Illinois (2.1×), New Jersey (1.9×). In 28 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ayah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ayah, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Ayah
What does Ayah mean?
Ayah is a spelling of Aya, usually explained as “several origins (Japanese, Akkadian goddess)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Ayah?
Ayah was the 870th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 309 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 652 places. More babies were named Ayah in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Ayah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ayah in the US.
Where is Ayah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ayah was most common in Michigan (0.49 per 1,000 girls), followed by Minnesota and Virginia.