Names / Girl names
Raya
Current rank
#369
and rising
All-time peak
#353
in 2023
First recorded
1958
in U.S. data
Children named
8,000
since 1958
Popularity over time
Annual U.S. children given the name · Peak #353 in 2023 · Source: Social Security Administration
Meaning & background
(RYE-ah / RAH-yah): In some usage traditions linked to friend or queen, and in others associated by sound with ray or light. Meaning depends heavily on origin, so choose carefully. It enters U.S. records in American naming data in 1958. As of the latest data it stands at #369, climbing. Its strongest year was 2023, at #353 nationally. Across all years, more than 8,000 children have been named this.