Braya
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly Slavic, with no defined meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 572 living Americans carry the first name Braya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Braya today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Braya births was 2019 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Braya. 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
572
~ 1 in 599,221 Americans
Peak year
2019
42 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,776
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Braya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Braya from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 282 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Braya remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Braya 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 Braya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Brayas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Illinois, Arizona, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Braya, while Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Braya
The name Braya has its roots in the ancient Aramaic language, which was spoken in the Middle East and parts of the Mediterranean region during the time of the Byzantine Empire. It is believed to have originated from the Aramaic word "braya," which means "blessed" or "favored."
In the earliest historical records, the name Braya appears in several ancient Aramaic texts and inscriptions dating back to the 5th century AD. These texts suggest that the name was initially used by Aramaic-speaking Christian communities in regions like Syria and Palestine.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Braya was a Christian monk who lived in the 6th century AD in the region of modern-day Lebanon. He was known for his piety and devotion to the teachings of the early Christian church.
Another notable figure with the name Braya was a prominent scholar and theologian who lived in the 9th century AD in the city of Edessa, which is now located in modern-day Turkey. He was renowned for his contributions to the study of Aramaic literature and his writings on Christian theology.
In the 12th century, a woman named Braya was recorded as being a member of the royal court of the Kingdom of Jerusalem during the Crusades. She held an influential position and was known for her diplomatic skills in navigating the complex political landscape of the time.
During the Renaissance period, a painter named Braya da Lodi (1470-1520) gained recognition for his work in the Lombardy region of Italy. He was known for his vibrant and colorful depictions of religious scenes and was commissioned by several wealthy patrons.
In the 17th century, a French Huguenot woman named Braya Delaunay (1615-1693) gained notoriety for her role in helping to establish a Protestant community in the city of Berlin, Germany. She was a prominent figure in the Huguenot diaspora and worked tirelessly to provide support for her fellow refugees.
Throughout history, the name Braya has been borne by individuals from various cultural and religious backgrounds, often carrying the meaning of being blessed or favored. While its usage may have evolved over time, it remains a name with a rich historical heritage rooted in the ancient Aramaic language and culture.
People
Braya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Braya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Braya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Braya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 572 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Braya 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 599,221 US residents.
Is Braya a common name?
We classify Braya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 577 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Braya most popular?
The single biggest year for Braya was 2019, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Braya is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Braya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Braya 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.