Rising since 1985, #1,052 for girls today.
Popularity of Araya since 1979
Babies named Araya per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 |
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 232 |
| 2000s | 978 |
| 2010s | 1,514 |
| 2020s | 1,454 |
Meaning & origin
Araya first appeared on the U.S. naming charts in 1979 and has been steadily climbing ever since, with a notable rise beginning in the mid-1980s. It reached its peak rank of 1052 in the most recent data from 2025, reflecting a continued upward trajectory. The name is most popular in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Oregon, suggesting a broad geographic appeal. While its etymology is debated, Araya fits neatly alongside other melodic, vowel-ending names that have become fashionable in recent decades, blending a modern sound with subtle global echoes.
Araya has multiple possible derivations. It may be a modern English coinage influenced by names like Aria and Maya, or a variant of Ara, a Hebrew name meaning 'lion'. It also appears as a Thai name meaning 'rainbow', though this connection is less commonly cited in Western usage. The name gained visibility in the United States starting in the late 1970s and has been rising in popularity since the mid-1980s.
Where Araya is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Araya” around the world
Where Araya lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Ari, Aya, Ray
Sibling names for Araya
Names that share Araya's style, for a brother or sister.
