Total births
738
Girls' name · since 1994
Aalyah
Aalyah has 738 recorded births since 1994 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2002 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7446
- among girls today
- 738
- born since 1994
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 58%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Aalyah is the #7446 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 738 recorded since 1994.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Aalyah has been recorded 738 times among girls since 1994, currently ranked #7446 nationally and more common than 58% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1994 to 2025.
- #7446 among girls today
- 738 born since 1994
- 2000s peak decade
- 58% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Aalyah is currently the #7446 girls' name in America, more common than 58% of girls - 738 born since 1994, peaking in the 2000s.
- #7446
- among girls today
- 738
- born since 1994
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 58%
- more common than other girls
Aalyah vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#7446
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 58% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
51% of everyone ever named Aalyah was born in this single decade.
2002
Single peak year
51 babies were named Aalyah in 2002 - its busiest year on record.
How Aalyah compares
738 Top 37% higher than 63% 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
Aalyah's all-time total is 93% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Aalyah | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 738 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 51 | 48 | 19,840 |
Aalyah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Aalyah's full recorded timeline at 2010, 38% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 62% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2019, with just 7 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2002 peak of 51 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Aalyah at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2002
Current rank
#7,446
Active since
1994
Aalyah popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1994–2025
- Peak year (2002)
- 51
- Annual births at peak, across 32 years of records
Aalyah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Aalyah's strongest decade.
375 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 51% of all-time use.
Aalyah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 83
1990s
83 births
- 2000s
2000s
375 births
- 2010s
2010s
200 births
- 2020s 80
2020s
80 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 375 births (51% of all-time use).
How Aalyah 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 Aalyah's total volume
Aalyah vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Aalyah by state
Where Aalyah concentrates geographically, total births since 1994
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 131 | 17.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 56 | 7.6% |
| #3 | New York | | 5 | 0.7% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.7% |
California share of Aalyah's total US births 17.8%
Even split
131 of 738 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Aalyah? ▼
Since 1994, Social Security records show 738 babies named Aalyah. Today it holds rank #7446 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2002, with 51 births.
When was Aalyah most popular? ▼
Aalyah was most popular in the 2000s decade with 375 total births. The single peak year was 2002.
Where is Aalyah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Aalyah are California (131 births), Texas (56 births), New York (5 births).
How long has the name Aalyah been used? ▼
Records for Aalyah go back to 1994, giving 32 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Aalyah? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Aaliyah, Aaliya, Aaleyah, Aalayah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Aalyah's data
- Aalyah's decade-level peak was the 2000s (375 total births); usage has since declined to 80 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Aalyahs (131 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 Aalyah
Nearby Names Like Aalyah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Aalyah
Aaliyah Girl
#95 109,971 births
Aaliya Girl
#3158 1,571 births
Aaleyah Girl
#6078 1,441 births
Aalayah Girl
#3260 1,276 births
Aaliah Girl
#6520 1,039 births
Compare Aalyah side by side: Aalyah vs Aaliyah Aalyah vs Aaliya Aalyah vs Aaleyah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Aalyah
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, 1994–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Aalyah: #7446 Girls' Name - 738 Births, Peak 2002." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/aalyah. 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 Aalyah 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.