Alaia
A feminine Hawaiian name meaning "joyous spiritual awakening".
Name Census estimates that about 15,271 living Americans carry the first name Alaia. It sits at #112 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Alaia today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alaia births was 2024 (2,425 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alaia. 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.
Key insights
- • Alaia is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 6 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
- • Alaia is on the rise. The most recent decade saw more than double the registrations of the decade before it.
People living today
15K
~ 1 in 22,445 Americans
Peak year
2024
2,425 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2022 SSA rank
#112
Tracked since 1986
Gender
Gender distribution for Alaia
Out of the 15,367 babies given the name Alaia since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Alaia as a male name
- Ranked #12,427 in 2022
- 5 male births in 2022
- Peak: 2020 (6 births)
Alaia as a female name
- Ranked #112 in 2024
- 2,425 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (2,425 births)
Popularity
Alaia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Alaia from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 11,321 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alaia 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 Alaia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Alaias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 46 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Alaia, while North Dakota, New Hampshire, South Dakota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 318 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Alaia
Alaia is a name of Hawaiian origin, believed to have derived from the Hawaiian word "ala," meaning "path" or "awakening." The name is thought to have originated during the ancient Hawaiian civilization, which dates back to the 4th century AD. It is often associated with the idea of enlightenment, growth, and spiritual journey.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Alaia can be found in the Hawaiian chants and oral traditions passed down through generations. These chants often referred to the concept of "ala" as a metaphor for the path of life and the journey of self-discovery.
While the name Alaia has been in use for centuries, it gained more widespread recognition in the modern era. In the late 19th century, Alaia Kekahuna (1850-1920) became a prominent figure in the Hawaiian culture as a respected kahuna (priest) and healer. Her teachings and practices helped preserve the traditional Hawaiian healing practices and spirituality.
Another notable figure with the name Alaia was Alaia Vave (1908-1992), a renowned Hawaiian musician and composer. She was instrumental in reviving and promoting traditional Hawaiian music, particularly the art of chanting and storytelling through song.
In the world of sports, Alaia Barnett (born 1994) is a professional surfer from Hawaii who has made a name for herself on the international surfing circuit. Her name has become synonymous with the spirit of adventure and connection with the ocean.
Alaia Kapela (born 1985) is a celebrated Hawaiian hula dancer and kumu hula (hula teacher). She has been instrumental in preserving and passing on the ancient hula traditions and teachings to younger generations.
Throughout history, the name Alaia has been a symbol of the rich cultural heritage and spiritual beliefs of the Hawaiian people. It represents the importance of embracing one's path, seeking enlightenment, and honoring the natural world and its cycles.
People
Alaia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alaia 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
Alaia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alaia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15,271 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alaia 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 22,445 US residents.
Is Alaia a common name?
We classify Alaia as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15,367 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alaia most popular?
The single biggest year for Alaia was 2024, when 2,425 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alaia is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Alaia a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Alaia 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.
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.