Laia
Laia was the 2182nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 85 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 1632nd with 130 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,329 places. More babies were named Laia in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Leia) invented for Star Wars (1977) · American English
- Rank in 2025
- #2,182 girls, up 68 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 85girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2022130 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,130babies recorded
What does the name Laia mean?
Laia is a spelling of Leia, pronounced the same way, so it shares Leia's meaning and origin.
Leia is known as a name from the film Star Wars (1977), whose heroine is Princess Leia Organa, and Wiktionary records it as a coinage from the film. SSA data show a few US girls named Leia before 1977, so in the US the film popularized the name rather than inventing it. It is close in form to the biblical Leah (Hebrew Le'ah, of debated meaning) and to the Hawaiian lei, "garland", but there is no documented derivation from either.
How sure is this? Probable. The film is the documented source of the modern name; earlier rare US uses have no recorded origin.
Other explanations you may read: Hawaiian for 'flower garland' (lei).
See also: American names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Leia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (usage history only), US Social Security Administration
Laia popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,182 | 85 |
| 2020 | #2,250 | 80 |
| 2010 | #6,785 | 19 |
| 2000 | #12,536 | 7 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | #11,257 | 5 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Laia, counting every spelling?
Laia is a spelling of Leia, a name family that ranked #264 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,182 for Laia on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,294 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leia | 1,033 | #297 | 5,850 |
| Laya | 137 | #1,543 | 503 |
| Laia | 85 | #2,182 | 499 |
| Leiah | 33 | #4,309 | 209 |
| Laiah | 6 | #14,145 | 74 |
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 Laia?
85 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Laia (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Laia 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 99 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Laia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Laia?
About 1,100 people born in the US named Laia are alive today, with a median age of 6; half are between 4 and 10. That makes Laia 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.
Laia by state
How common Laia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (2.6×), Florida (2.0×), New Jersey (1.9×). In 40 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 Laia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Laia, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Laia
What does Laia mean?
Laia is a spelling of Leia, which means “invented for Star Wars (1977)” (American English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Laia?
Laia was the 2182nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 85 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 1632nd with 130 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,329 places. More babies were named Laia in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Laia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Laia in the US.
Where is Laia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Laia was most common in New York (0.16 per 1,000 girls), followed by Massachusetts and Florida.