Laya
Laya was the 1543rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 137 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 461 places. More babies were named Laya in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Leia) invented for Star Wars (1977) · American English
- Rank in 2025
- #1,543 girls, up 374 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 137girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025137 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,102babies recorded
What does the name Laya mean?
Laya 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
Laya popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,543 | 137 |
| 2020 | #1,917 | 100 |
| 2010 | #2,307 | 83 |
| 2000 | #7,012 | 15 |
| 1990 | #14,229 | 5 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | #7,551 | 6 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Laya, counting every spelling?
Laya is a spelling of Leia, a name family that ranked #264 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,543 for Laya 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 Laya?
137 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Laya (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Laya 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 61 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Laya.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Laya?
About 2,100 people born in the US named Laya are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 6 and 18. That makes Laya 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.
Laya by state
How common Laya was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (2.1×). In 41 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 Laya: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Laya, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Laya
What does Laya mean?
Laya is a spelling of Leia, which means “invented for Star Wars (1977)” (American English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Laya?
Laya was the 1543rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 137 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 461 places. More babies were named Laya in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Laya a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Laya in the US.
Where is Laya most popular?
In 2021–2025, Laya was most common in New Jersey (0.13 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Virginia.