Raiya
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "garden, oasis".
Name Census estimates that about 658 living Americans carry the first name Raiya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Raiya today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Raiya births was 2023 (77 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Raiya. 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
658
~ 1 in 520,903 Americans
Peak year
2023
77 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,786
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Raiya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Raiya from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 298 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
Raiya 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 Raiya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Raiyas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Raiya, while Tennessee, Ohio, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Raiya
The name Raiya is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language. The name is derived from the Arabic word "raya," which means "banner" or "flag." It is also possible that the name has connections to the Arabic word "rayah," meaning "meadow" or "garden."
In the Islamic tradition, the word "raya" is associated with the concept of a guiding standard or principle, much like a banner that leads and guides individuals or groups. This symbolic meaning may have contributed to the adoption of the name Raiya as a given name.
The earliest recorded use of the name Raiya can be traced back to the Middle Ages, particularly in regions where Arabic culture and language had significant influence, such as the Middle East and parts of North Africa.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Raiya was Raiya bint Isma'il al-Qurashi, a prominent Arab poet who lived in the 7th century CE. She was renowned for her eloquence and mastery of the Arabic language, and her poetry is still studied and appreciated today.
Another historical figure bearing the name Raiya was Raiya al-Andalusiya, a renowned scholar and philosopher from the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal) during the 11th century CE. She made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy.
In the 13th century, Raiya al-Dimashqiya was a celebrated calligrapher and illuminator from Damascus, whose works adorned many important manuscripts and religious texts of her time.
Raiya al-Baghdadiya, born in the early 15th century, was a noted physician and herbalist from Baghdad. She is credited with developing numerous remedies and treatments using natural herbs and plants.
Raiya al-Malikiya, born in the late 16th century, was a prominent architect and engineer who played a significant role in the construction of several iconic mosques and palaces in the Ottoman Empire.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Raiya. While the name may have evolved and taken on different cultural and linguistic influences over time, its origins can be traced back to the rich Arabic heritage and the symbolic meaning associated with the word "raya."
People
Raiya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Raiya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Raiya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Raiya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 658 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Raiya 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 520,903 US residents.
Is Raiya a common name?
We classify Raiya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 663 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Raiya most popular?
The single biggest year for Raiya was 2023, when 77 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Raiya is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Raiya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Raiya 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.