How to say it
a · LA · ya
/əˈlaɪ.ə/
Feminine
Alaya
Exalted, sublime
What it means
A variant of Alia and Aaliyah, from the Arabic for 'exalted, sublime, highborn.'
Alaya is a spelling cousin of Alia and Aaliyah, all rooted in the Arabic for 'exalted' or 'sublime.' The look is sleek and modern, and it shares the airy -aya ending with Maya and Amaya. In Buddhist thought alaya also names a deep 'abode' of consciousness, a quiet bonus layer of meaning. Said uh-LY-uh.
Popularity over time
peaked at #338 in 2020, currently #368 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Cousin to Alaia, Alia, and Aaliyah.
- Pronunciation
uh-LY-uh.
Spelling variants
- Alaia
- Alayah
- Alia