Total births
7,987
Girls' name · since 1972
Aya
Since 1972, U.S. Social Security records show 7,987 babies named Aya, peaking in 2024. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #631
- among girls today
- 7,987
- born since 1972
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Aya is the #631 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 7,987 recorded since 1972.
Social Security Administration records show Aya recorded 7,987 times among girls since 1972, holding rank #631 nationally today, ahead of 96% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1972 to 2025.
- #631 among girls today
- 7,987 born since 1972
- 2010s peak decade
- 96% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Aya is currently the #631 girls' name in America, more common than 96% of girls - 7,987 born since 1972, peaking in the 2010s.
- #631
- among girls today
- 7,987
- born since 1972
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Aya vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#631
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 96% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Aya was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
469 babies were named Aya in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Aya compares
7,987 Top 10% higher than 90% 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
Aya's all-time total is 21x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Aya | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,987 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 469 | 48 | 19,840 |
Aya's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Aya splits its recorded history at 1999: 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 1973 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2024 peak of 469 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Aya at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2024
Current rank
#631
Active since
1972
Aya popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1972–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 469
- Annual births at peak, across 54 years of records
Aya by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Aya's strongest decade.
2,956 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Aya births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 65
1970s
65 births
- 1980s 183
1980s
183 births
- 1990s 587
1990s
587 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,779 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,956 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,417 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 2,956 births (37% of all-time use).
How Aya 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 Aya's total volume
Aya vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Aya by state
Where Aya concentrates geographically, total births since 1972
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,126 | 14.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 720 | 9.0% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 674 | 8.4% |
| #4 | Texas | | 497 | 6.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 408 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Florida | | 397 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 339 | 4.2% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 290 | 3.6% |
California share of Aya's total US births 14.1%
Even split
1,126 of 7,987 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 34 reporting states.
Aya appears in 34 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Aya? ▼
Since 1972, Social Security records show 7,987 babies named Aya. Today it holds rank #631 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2024, with 469 births.
When was Aya most popular? ▼
Aya was most popular in the 2010s decade with 2,956 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Aya most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Aya are California (1,126 births), New York (720 births), Michigan (674 births).
How long has the name Aya been used? ▼
Records for Aya go back to 1972, giving 54 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Aya? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ayanna, Ayana, Ayah, Ayat, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Aya's data
- Aya's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (2,956 total births) through the 2020s (2,417) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Ayas (1,126 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 Aya
Nearby Names Like Aya
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Aya
Ayanna Girl
#1181 16,326 births
Ayana Girl
#1108 12,091 births
Ayah Girl
#964 4,809 births
Ayat Girl
#1672 1,769 births
Ayala Girl
#3193 1,201 births
Compare Aya side by side: Aya vs Ayanna Aya vs Ayana Aya vs Ayah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Aya
Melina #630
19,926 births · Peak 2009
Marie #632
540,077 births · Peak 1920
Oakleigh #629
4,121 births · Peak 2023
Siena #633
11,070 births · Peak 2018
Kenzie #628
21,391 births · Peak 2014
Emberly #634
5,562 births · Peak 2018
Sariyah #627
6,500 births · Peak 2023
Irene #635
355,462 births · Peak 1921
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, 1972–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Aya: #631 Girls' Name - 7,987 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/aya. 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 Aya 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.