Talaya
A feminine name of Native American origin meaning "lark" or "beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 1,460 living Americans carry the first name Talaya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Talaya today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Talaya births was 2005 (55 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Talaya. 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
1.5K
~ 1 in 234,763 Americans
Peak year
2005
55 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,406
Tracked since 1967
Popularity
Talaya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Talaya from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 438 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Talaya remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Talaya 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 Talaya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Talayas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. North Carolina, Maryland, California recorded the most babies named Talaya, while Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Talaya
The name Talaya is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language from the Indian subcontinent. The name is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "tala," which means "tree" or "palm tree." It is believed to have been used as a name in ancient India, particularly in regions where Sanskrit was widely spoken.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Talaya can be found in the Mahabharata, a renowned Sanskrit epic that dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In this epic, Talaya is mentioned as the name of a river, suggesting that the name was in use during that time period.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Talaya. One such person was Talaya Khemka (1927-2008), an Indian industrialist and philanthropist who was the chairperson of the Khemka Group of Companies. Another notable figure was Talaya Zen (born 1984), an American model and actress known for her work in films and television shows.
In the realm of literature, Talaya Dexter (born 1976) is a British author and playwright who has written several novels and stage plays. Her most notable work is the novel "The Honeytrap," which was published in 2008.
The name Talaya was also borne by Talaya Schmitt (1947-2021), a French fashion designer and artist who was known for her avant-garde clothing designs and contemporary art pieces.
Lastly, Talaya Vang (born 1991) is an American activist and community organizer who has been involved in various social justice movements, particularly advocating for the rights of the Hmong community in the United States.
While the name Talaya has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Indian culture, it has gained popularity across various cultures and regions over time, with individuals from different backgrounds embracing this name and contributing to its rich history.
People
Talaya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Talaya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Talaya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Talaya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,460 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Talaya 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 234,763 US residents.
Is Talaya a common name?
We classify Talaya as "Rare". It ranks above 92.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,502 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Talaya most popular?
The single biggest year for Talaya was 2005, when 55 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Talaya is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Talaya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Talaya 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.