Ahlaya
A feminine Arabic name meaning "born in the evening".
Name Census estimates that about 239 living Americans carry the first name Ahlaya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ahlaya today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ahlaya births was 2013 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ahlaya. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
239
~ 1 in 1,434,119 Americans
Peak year
2013
27 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,538
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Ahlaya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ahlaya from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 140 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ahlaya remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ahlaya by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ahlaya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ahlaya
The name Ahlaya is of Arabic origin, derived from the word 'Hilal' which means 'crescent moon'. It is a relatively modern name, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 20th century.
In Arabic culture, the crescent moon holds significant symbolism, representing growth, renewal, and the cyclical nature of life. The name Ahlaya is often given to girls in the hope that they will embody the qualities associated with the crescent moon, such as beauty, grace, and a sense of constant evolution.
While there are no known historical references to the name Ahlaya in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has gained popularity in recent decades, particularly among Arabic-speaking communities in the Middle East and North Africa.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Ahlaya can be found in the works of the Emirati poet and writer, Ahlaya Al-Muzayri (born 1978), whose poetry often explores themes of identity, culture, and the experiences of women in the Arab world.
Another notable individual with the name Ahlaya is Ahlaya Al-Khaldi (born 1990), a Kuwaiti artist and activist known for her work in promoting women's rights and empowerment through her art installations and performances.
In the field of sports, Ahlaya Al-Jassim (born 1995) is a Qatari track and field athlete who has represented her country in several international competitions, including the Asian Games and the World Athletics Championships.
Ahlaya Fattouh (born 1985) is a Syrian-born fashion designer based in Dubai, whose clothing line has gained recognition for its fusion of traditional Arabic elements with modern styles.
Ahlaya Al-Rabiah (born 1980) is a Saudi Arabian entrepreneur and businesswoman who has made significant contributions to the development of sustainable tourism initiatives in the region.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Ahlaya throughout history, each leaving their unique mark in various fields and disciplines.
People
Ahlaya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ahlaya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ahlaya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ahlaya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 239 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ahlaya going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,434,119 US residents.
Is Ahlaya a common name?
We classify Ahlaya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 241 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ahlaya most popular?
The single biggest year for Ahlaya was 2013, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ahlaya is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ahlaya in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ahlaya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ahlaya in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ahlaya still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ahlaya in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ahlaya can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Ahlaya?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.