Raylah
A feminine name of unknown origin, perhaps a blend of Ray and Delilah.
Name Census estimates that about 82 living Americans carry the first name Raylah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Raylah today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Raylah births was 2023 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Raylah. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Raylah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
82
~ 1 in 4,179,931 Americans
Peak year
2023
13 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,397
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Raylah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Raylah from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 45 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
Raylah 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 Raylah 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 Raylah
The name Raylah is believed to have its origins in Arabic cultures, with roots tracing back to the Middle East and North Africa regions. It is derived from the Arabic word "rayah," meaning "banner" or "flag," suggesting a connection to concepts of guidance, leadership, and identity.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Raylah can be found in medieval Islamic literature, where it was occasionally used as a feminine name. However, its usage was relatively rare during those times, and it remained obscure for several centuries.
It wasn't until the 19th century that the name Raylah began to gain some popularity, particularly among Arab communities in the Levant region. During this period, several notable figures bore the name, including Raylah al-Sulh (1844-1910), a prominent Lebanese writer and poet who played a significant role in the literary renaissance of the Arab world.
In the 20th century, the name continued to spread and gain recognition beyond its traditional boundaries. One notable bearer of the name was Raylah Odeh (1912-1995), a Palestinian activist and politician who fought for women's rights and played a pivotal role in the Palestinian nationalist movement.
Another famous Raylah was Raylah Saleh (1935-2022), an Egyptian actress and singer who captivated audiences with her performances in numerous films and television shows throughout the latter half of the 20th century.
Moving into more recent times, Raylah Ali (born 1977) is a renowned American spoken word artist and activist who has used her platform to advocate for social justice and empowerment.
Lastly, Raylah Hamadeh (born 1992) is a Syrian-American artist and writer whose work explores themes of identity, displacement, and cultural heritage, reflecting the diverse experiences of the modern Arab diaspora.
While the name Raylah has remained relatively uncommon in mainstream Western cultures, it has continued to hold significance and meaning within Arabic-speaking communities, carrying associations of guidance, leadership, and a strong sense of cultural identity.
People
Raylah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Raylah 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
Raylah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Raylah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 82 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Raylah 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 4,179,931 US residents.
Is Raylah a common name?
We classify Raylah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 61.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 83 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Raylah most popular?
The single biggest year for Raylah was 2023, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Raylah is about 7 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 Raylah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Raylah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Raylah 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 Raylah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Raylah 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 Raylah 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 have the name Raylah?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Raylah, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.