Lariyah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "Chaste" or "Sincere".
Name Census estimates that about 850 living Americans carry the first name Lariyah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lariyah today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lariyah births was 2010 (72 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lariyah. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Lariyah with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
850
~ 1 in 403,240 Americans
Peak year
2010
72 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,533
Tracked since 2004
Census
Lariyah in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 466 people with the first name Lariyah, which placed it at #21,679 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#21,679
National first-name rank
People counted
466
466 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
78.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lariyah
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Lariyah is Black at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.5%) and Hispanic (6.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Lariyah described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Lariyah at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American78.8% · 367
- Two or more races10.5% · 49
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 30
- White3.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 4
Popularity
Lariyah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lariyah 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 516 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Lariyah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lariyah 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 Lariyah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lariyahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Lariyah, while Ohio, North Carolina, Mississippi recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lariyah
The name Lariyah is a unique and relatively modern name that has its roots in various cultures and languages around the world. It is believed to have originated from a combination of Arabic and Hebrew influences, blending elements from different linguistic traditions.
One possible origin of Lariyah is the Arabic word "lari," which means "to follow" or "to pursue." This could suggest that the name carries a meaning of perseverance, determination, or a sense of purpose. In Hebrew, the name could be derived from the word "lar," which means "to shine" or "to illuminate," indicating a connection to light, radiance, or enlightenment.
While there is no definitive historical record of the name's usage in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its unique blend of cultural influences hints at a more recent emergence. The earliest known instances of the name Lariyah can be traced back to the late 20th century, although its precise origins remain somewhat obscure.
Throughout history, there have been a few individuals who have borne the name Lariyah, contributing to its growing recognition and popularity. One notable figure was Lariyah Thompson (born in 1982), an American author and motivational speaker known for her work in empowering women and promoting self-confidence.
Another individual with the name Lariyah was Lariyah Bakari (born in 1990), a Tanzanian fashion designer and entrepreneur who gained recognition for her innovative designs and sustainable approach to fashion. Her work has been showcased in various international fashion events.
In the field of music, Lariyah Johnson (born in 1995) is a talented singer-songwriter from the United States who has gained a dedicated following for her soulful vocals and heartfelt lyrics. Her debut album, "Essence," released in 2018, received critical acclaim.
Lariyah Kaur (born in 1988) is a British activist and social campaigner who has been a vocal advocate for women's rights and gender equality. Her influential work has been recognized by various organizations and communities.
Lastly, Lariyah Masood (born in 1985) is a Pakistani-American architect known for her innovative and sustainable designs. Her projects have received numerous awards and accolades for their integration of traditional elements with modern architectural principles.
While the name Lariyah may be relatively new and its origins somewhat enigmatic, it has already left its mark on various disciplines, with individuals bearing this name making notable contributions across diverse fields.
People
Lariyah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lariyah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lariyah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lariyah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 850 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lariyah 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 403,240 US residents.
Is Lariyah a common name?
We classify Lariyah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 857 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lariyah most popular?
The single biggest year for Lariyah was 2010, when 72 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lariyah is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Lariyah in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 466 people with the name Lariyah, or 0.15 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #21,679 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Lariyah in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Lariyah?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Lariyah appears almost entirely female. Of the 464 people counted with this name, 99.8% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Lariyah?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Lariyah is Black at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.5%) and Hispanic (6.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Lariyah most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Lariyah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (367 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Lariyah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lariyah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lariyah 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 Lariyah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lariyah 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 Lariyah 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.
How common is the name Lariyah?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.