Alaya
The Eight Consciousnesses are a classification developed in the tradition of the Yogācāra school of Mahayana Buddhism. They enumerate the five sense consciousnesses, supplemented by the mental consciousness (manovijñāna), the defiled mental consciousness (kliṣṭamanovijñāna), and finally the fundamental store-house consciousness (ālāyavijñāna), which is the basis of the other seven.
Meaning & Origin of Alaya
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The Eight Consciousnesses are a classification developed in the tradition of the Yogācāra school of Mahayana Buddhism. They enumerate the five sense consciousnesses, supplemented by the mental consciousness (manovijñāna), the defiled mental consciousness (kliṣṭamanovijñāna), and finally the fundamental store-house consciousness (ālāyavijñāna), which is the basis of the other seven.
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The Story of Alaya
Alaya first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1979, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 913 Alayas were born — ranking #338 that year. As of 2026, Alaya ranks #385 for baby girls with 790 births, gradually rising (+14%). In total, more than 12K Alayas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Alaya
Phonetically similar names — useful when Alaya 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 Alaya
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About the name Alaya
Alaya is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1979 and has accumulated 12K births in the dataset. Alaya's peak popularity came in 2020 when it ranked #338. Use the chart and map above to compare Alaya's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
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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.