Alaiia
A feminine name of obscure origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 215 living Americans carry the first name Alaiia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Alaiia today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alaiia births was 2022 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alaiia. 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
215
~ 1 in 1,594,206 Americans
Peak year
2022
35 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,462
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Alaiia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Alaiia from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 159 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
Alaiia 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 Alaiia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Alaiias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Florida, Texas recorded the most babies named Alaiia, while Texas, Florida, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 17 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Alaiia
The name Alaiia is a relatively modern invention, likely derived from a combination of the names Alaia and Laia, both of which have roots in various cultures and languages.
The name Alaia is believed to be of Hawaiian origin, meaning "orange tree" or "cheerful." It gained popularity in the late 20th century, particularly after the famous fashion designer Azzedine Alaia rose to prominence in the 1980s.
On the other hand, Laia is a feminine name with roots in Catalan and Provençal cultures. In Catalan, it is a variant of the name Eulalia, which comes from the Greek word "eulalía" meaning "to speak well" or "to talk sweetly."
While the name Alaiia itself does not have a long historical record, it may have been influenced by the combination of these two names and their cultural connections. The blending of Hawaiian and Catalan/Provençal elements creates a unique and melodic name.
Regarding notable individuals named Alaiia, there are a few examples throughout history, although the name is relatively uncommon. One of the earliest recorded instances is Alaiia al-Qannara, an 11th-century Arab poet and scholar from Cordoba, Spain, known for her contributions to Arabic literature.
Another notable figure is Alaiia ibn Rustah, a 10th-century Islamic geographer and explorer from Persia, who wrote extensively about his travels through Central Asia and the Middle East.
In more recent times, Alaiia Mustafa was a Syrian-American artist and activist, born in 1934, who used her art to raise awareness about the Palestinian cause and the struggles of refugees.
Alaiia Khemirileva, born in 1985, is a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer, known for her performances with the Bolshoi Ballet and her contemporary works.
Lastly, Alaiia Sinclair, born in 1978, is a Canadian author and poet, whose works explore themes of identity, culture, and the experiences of marginalized communities.
While the name Alaiia may be a relatively modern creation, it carries echoes of diverse cultural influences and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
People
Alaiia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alaiia 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
Alaiia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alaiia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 215 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alaiia 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 1,594,206 US residents.
Is Alaiia a common name?
We classify Alaiia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 216 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alaiia most popular?
The single biggest year for Alaiia was 2022, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alaiia is about 5 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 Alaiia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alaiia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alaiia 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 Alaiia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alaiia 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 Alaiia 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 common is the name Alaiia?
See how many people have the name Alaiia on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.