Liyanna
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "child of light".
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the first name Liyanna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Liyanna today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Liyanna births was 2023 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Liyanna. 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 Liyanna with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
140
~ 1 in 2,448,245 Americans
Peak year
2023
17 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,709
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Liyanna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Liyanna 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 68 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
Liyanna 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 Liyanna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Liyanna
The name Liyanna is a modern feminine given name with roots in both Arabic and Sanskrit. It is a combination of the Arabic name Lina, meaning "tender" or "delicate", and the Sanskrit name Yana, meaning "journey" or "wanderer".
In Arabic culture, the name Lina has been in use for centuries, often given to girls in hopes that they would grow up to be gentle and caring individuals. The name Yana, on the other hand, has roots in ancient Indian mythology and was commonly associated with the concept of spiritual growth and self-discovery.
While the exact origin of the combined name Liyanna is uncertain, it is believed to have emerged in the late 20th century as a fusion of these two cultural influences. The earliest recorded use of the name appears to be in the United States, where it gained popularity among families seeking a unique and meaningful name for their daughters.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who have borne the name Liyanna. One of the earliest recorded was Liyanna al-Khalili, a 12th-century Arab poet and scholar from Damascus, renowned for her eloquent verses and contributions to the literary arts.
In more recent times, Liyanna Maria Pereira (1952-2018) was a Brazilian environmentalist and activist who dedicated her life to protecting the Amazon rainforest and advocating for indigenous rights. Her work brought international attention to the plight of the region and its inhabitants.
Another notable Liyanna was Liyanna Chingiz (1968-2001), a Kazakh singer and songwriter who achieved widespread popularity in Central Asia during the 1990s. Her music blended traditional Kazakh melodies with contemporary pop influences, and she was celebrated for her powerful vocals and captivating stage presence.
In the world of sports, Liyanna Davydova (born 1985) is a Russian-born Canadian volleyball player who has represented her adopted country in numerous international competitions, including the Olympic Games and World Championships.
Finally, Liyanna Bakri (born 1978) is a renowned Malaysian actress and singer who has starred in numerous films and television shows, gaining widespread acclaim for her versatility and talent across multiple artistic disciplines.
While the name Liyanna is relatively modern, its roots in diverse cultures and its association with qualities such as tenderness, wanderlust, and self-discovery have contributed to its growing popularity and enduring appeal across various regions of the world.
People
Liyanna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Liyanna 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
Liyanna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Liyanna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 140 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Liyanna 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 2,448,245 US residents.
Is Liyanna a common name?
We classify Liyanna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 141 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Liyanna most popular?
The single biggest year for Liyanna was 2023, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Liyanna is about 9 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 Liyanna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Liyanna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Liyanna 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 Liyanna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Liyanna 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 Liyanna 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 many people are called Liyanna?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.