Raya
Raya is a given name with multiple, unrelated origins in different cultures.
Meaning & Origin of Raya
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Raya is a given name with multiple, unrelated origins in different cultures.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Raya
American parents first put Raya on the record books as a baby girl name in 1958, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 1,046 Rayas were born — ranking #300 that year. About 59% of every Raya on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Raya ranks #300 for baby girls with 1,046 births, rising sharply (+180% over the past five years). All told, over 9K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Raya
Phonetically similar names — useful when Raya 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 Raya
What does the name Raya mean?
How popular is Raya in 2026?
When was Raya most popular?
In which U.S. states is Raya most popular?
Is Raya a unisex name?
What names go well with Raya?
About the name Raya
Raya is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1958 and has accumulated 9K births in the dataset. Raya's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #300. Use the chart and map above to compare Raya's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.