Total births
109,971
Girls' name · since 1976
Aaliyah
Since 1976, U.S. Social Security records show 109,971 babies named Aaliyah, peaking in 2012. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #95
- among girls today
- 109,971
- born since 1976
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.5%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Aaliyah is the #95 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 109,971 recorded since 1976.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Aaliyah has been recorded 109,971 times among girls since 1976, currently ranked #95 nationally and more common than 99.5% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1976 to 2025.
- #95 among girls today
- 109,971 born since 1976
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.5% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Aaliyah is currently the #95 girls' name in America, more common than 99.5% of girls - 109,971 born since 1976, peaking in the 2010s.
- #95
- among girls today
- 109,971
- born since 1976
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.5%
- more common than other girls
Aaliyah vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#95
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.5% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
42% of everyone ever named Aaliyah was born in this single decade.
2012
Single peak year
5,523 babies were named Aaliyah in 2012 - its busiest year on record.
How Aaliyah compares
109,971 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Aaliyah's all-time total is 288x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Aaliyah | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 109,971 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 5,523 | 48 | 19,840 |
Aaliyah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Aaliyah splits its recorded history at 2001: 91% of all births land in the more recent half, 9% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1985 (10 births) -- compare that against the 2012 peak of 5,523 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Aaliyah at a glance
Top 100 girls' namePeak year
2012
Current rank
#95
Active since
1976
Aaliyah popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–2025
- Peak year (2012)
- 5,523
- Annual births at peak, across 50 years of records
Aaliyah popularity over time - boys
106 total births recorded since 1994 (Aaliyah as boys' name)
Aaliyah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Aaliyah's strongest decade.
46,734 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Aaliyah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 142
1970s
142 births
- 1980s 209
1980s
209 births
- 1990s 7,839
1990s
7,839 births
- 2000s
2000s
36,381 births
- 2010s
2010s
46,734 births
- 2020s 18,666
2020s
18,666 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 46,734 births (42% of all-time use).
How Aaliyah compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Aaliyah's total volume
Aaliyah vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Aaliyah by state
Where Aaliyah concentrates geographically, total births since 1976
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 14,831 | 13.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 12,147 | 11.0% |
| #3 | Florida | | 7,834 | 7.1% |
| #4 | New York | | 6,270 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 4,650 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 4,477 | 4.1% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 3,833 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 3,613 | 3.3% |
California share of Aaliyah's total US births 13.5%
Even split
14,831 of 109,971 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Aaliyah appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Aaliyah? ▼
109,971 babies have been named Aaliyah since 1976. It currently ranks #95 among girls. The peak year was 2012 with 5,523 births.
When was Aaliyah most popular? ▼
Aaliyah was most popular in the 2010s decade with 46,734 total births. The single peak year was 2012.
Where is Aaliyah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Aaliyah are California (14,831 births), Texas (12,147 births), Florida (7,834 births).
How long has the name Aaliyah been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Aaliyah since 1976 -- 50 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Aaliyah? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Aaliya, Aaleyah, Aalayah, Aaliah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Aaliyah's data
- Aaliyah's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (46,734 total births) through the 2020s (18,666) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Aaliyahs (14,831 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Aaliyah
Nearby Names Like Aaliyah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Aaliyah
Aaliya Girl
#3158 1,571 births
Aaleyah Girl
#6078 1,441 births
Aalayah Girl
#3260 1,276 births
Aaliah Girl
#6520 1,039 births
Aalyiah Girl
#9845 808 births
Compare Aaliyah side by side: Aaliyah vs Aaliya Aaliyah vs Aaleyah Aaliyah vs Aalayah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Aaliyah
Anna #94
914,859 births · Peak 1918
Quinn #96
52,503 births · Peak 2016
Sarah #93
1,098,498 births · Peak 1982
Lydia #97
187,039 births · Peak 2014
Caroline #92
250,410 births · Peak 2000
Lucia #98
59,335 births · Peak 2025
Melody #91
114,914 births · Peak 2025
Allison #99
319,119 births · Peak 1994
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1976–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Aaliyah: #95 Girls' Name - 109,971 Births, Peak 2012." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/aaliyah. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Aaliyah draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.