Araya
A name of Arabic origin meaning "valor" or "courage".
Name Census estimates that about 3,919 living Americans carry the first name Araya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Araya today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Araya births was 2022 (310 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Araya. 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
- • Araya is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 12 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
3.9K
~ 1 in 87,460 Americans
Peak year
2022
310 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2021 SSA rank
#1,075
Tracked since 1979
Gender
Gender distribution for Araya
Out of the 3,959 babies given the name Araya since 1880, 99.7% 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.
Araya as a male name
- Ranked #12,275 in 2021
- 5 male births in 2021
- Peak: 2015 (5 births)
Araya as a female name
- Ranked #1,075 in 2024
- 230 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (310 births)
Popularity
Araya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Araya from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 1,517 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
Araya 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 Araya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Arayas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 35 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Araya, while West Virginia, South Dakota, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 64 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Araya
The name Araya is believed to have its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that was once widely spoken in the Indian subcontinent. The name is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "arya," which means "noble" or "honorable." This suggests that the name Araya likely carried connotations of nobility and respect in its earliest usage.
In ancient Hindu texts, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, the term "arya" was used to refer to the Indo-Aryan people who inhabited the Indian subcontinent. It was also employed as a term of respect and reverence for those deemed worthy or virtuous. While the name Araya itself does not appear to be directly mentioned in these ancient texts, its linguistic roots can be traced back to this Sanskrit origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Araya can be found in the historical records of the Maurya Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Indian subcontinent from around 322 BCE to 185 BCE. During this period, Araya was a relatively common name among members of the ruling class and nobility.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Araya. One such figure was Araya Vikhatu, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 5th century CE during the Gupta Empire. His works on philosophy and literature were highly regarded in his time and continue to be studied by scholars today.
Another individual of note was Araya Narayana, a revered Hindu saint and mystic who lived in the 12th century CE. He is credited with founding the Arya Samaj movement, which sought to revive and promote the teachings of the Vedas and Upanishads.
In more recent times, Araya Ismail was a prominent political activist and leader in the Malaysian independence movement of the 20th century. He played a crucial role in advocating for the rights of the Malay people and was instrumental in the nation's struggle for independence from British colonial rule.
Additionally, Araya Virgili was a renowned Italian artist and sculptor who lived in the 16th century. His works, which included sculptures and architectural designs, were highly influential and can still be found adorning many churches and buildings across Italy.
Finally, Araya Rasami was a celebrated Thai poet and writer who lived in the 19th century. His poetry, which often explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality, is considered a significant contribution to the literary canon of Thailand and continues to be widely read and studied.
People
Araya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Araya 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
Araya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Araya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,919 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Araya 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 87,460 US residents.
Is Araya a common name?
We classify Araya as "Rare". It ranks above 95.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,959 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Araya most popular?
The single biggest year for Araya was 2022, when 310 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Araya is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Araya a female name?
Yes, 99.7% of people registered as Araya 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.