Ala
Ala or Alaa is an Arabic masculine given name meaning "elevation, exaltedness, highness, loftiness, sublimity" or "honor and glory, might, power, dignity" or "prestige, greatness, noble, high in rank" or "eminence, glorious, grandeur" or "high in position and status". The name is also used as a feminine given name.
Meaning & Origin of Ala
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ala or Alaa is an Arabic masculine given name meaning "elevation, exaltedness, highness, loftiness, sublimity" or "honor and glory, might, power, dignity" or "prestige, greatness, noble, high in rank" or "eminence, glorious, grandeur" or "high in position and status". The name is also used as a feminine given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ala
As a girl name
Ala first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1889, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 24 Alas were born — ranking #5,337 that year. As of 2026, Ala ranks #8,308 for girls with 11 births, falling sharply (-32%). In total, more than 802 Alas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Ala first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1958, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1986, when 10 Alas were born — ranking #4,130 that year. As of 2026, Ala ranks #12,285 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 142 Alas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Ala
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ala is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ala
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About the name Ala
Ala is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1889 and has accumulated 802 births in the dataset. Ala's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #1,279. Use the chart and map above to compare Ala's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2017 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.