Total births
1,442
Girls' name · since 1998
Kalayah
Since 1998, U.S. Social Security records show 1,442 babies named Kalayah, peaking in 2024. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1533
- among girls today
- 1,442
- born since 1998
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
1,442 babies have been named Kalayah since 1998, making it today's #1533 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kalayah has been recorded 1,442 times among girls since 1998, currently ranked #1533 nationally and more common than 91% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1998 to 2025.
- #1533 among girls today
- 1,442 born since 1998
- 2020s peak decade
- 91% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kalayah is currently the #1533 girls' name in America, more common than 91% of girls - 1,442 born since 1998, peaking in the 2020s.
- #1533
- among girls today
- 1,442
- born since 1998
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
Kalayah vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1533
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 91% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
50% of everyone ever named Kalayah was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
140 babies were named Kalayah in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Kalayah compares
1,442 Top 26% higher than 74% 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
Kalayah's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kalayah | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,442 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 140 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kalayah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kalayah's full recorded timeline at 2013, 79% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 21% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1998, with just 7 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2024 peak of 140 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kalayah at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2024
Current rank
#1,533
Active since
1998
Kalayah popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1998–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 140
- Annual births at peak, across 28 years of records
Kalayah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Kalayah's strongest decade.
724 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Kalayah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 7
1990s
7 births
- 2000s 184
2000s
184 births
- 2010s
2010s
527 births
- 2020s
2020s
724 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 724 births (50% of all-time use).
How Kalayah 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 Kalayah's total volume
Kalayah vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kalayah by state
Where Kalayah concentrates geographically, total births since 1998
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 136 | 9.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 72 | 5.0% |
| #3 | Florida | | 59 | 4.1% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 58 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 51 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 44 | 3.1% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 38 | 2.6% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 18 | 1.2% |
California share of Kalayah's total US births 9.4%
Even split
136 of 1,442 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.
Kalayah appears in 17 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kalayah? ▼
Kalayah has been given to 1,442 babies in the U.S. since 1998, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1533 as of the latest data. 140 babies were born in 2024, its single highest year.
When was Kalayah most popular? ▼
Kalayah was most popular in the 2020s decade with 724 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Kalayah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kalayah are California (136 births), Texas (72 births), Florida (59 births).
How long has the name Kalayah been used? ▼
Kalayah has been recorded in Social Security data since 1998, spanning 28 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kalayah? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kali, Kaleigh, Kaley, Kaliyah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kalayah's data
- California records the most Kalayahs (136 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 Kalayah
Nearby Names Like Kalayah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kalayah
Kali Girl
#295 32,527 births
Kaleigh Girl
#2761 16,244 births
Kaley Girl
#2705 13,682 births
Kaliyah Girl
#442 12,946 births
Kallie Girl
#846 12,683 births
Compare Kalayah side by side: Kalayah vs Kali Kalayah vs Kaleigh Kalayah vs Kaley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kalayah
Angely #1532
2,934 births · Peak 2008
Zylah #1534
1,445 births · Peak 2024
Kaylynn #1531
12,252 births · Peak 2009
Londynn #1535
3,141 births · Peak 2015
Vivianne #1530
3,039 births · Peak 2018
Janie #1536
75,598 births · Peak 1947
Elissa #1529
18,033 births · Peak 1979
Mika #1537
6,752 births · Peak 2017
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, 1998–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kalayah: #1533 Girls' Name - 1,442 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kalayah. 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 Kalayah 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.