Ala: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#5,732

among girls · ↑2,733 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Ala

How common

1 in 76,537

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1992

27 babies

All-time total

943

#8,708 all-time among girls

First recorded

1889

in Social Security records

Ala popularity over time

943 babies have been named Ala since 1889, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	5	–	5	1	–	#1,281
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	13	–	13	1	–	#1,677
1910s	94	–	94	9	+623%	#1,774
1920s	76	–	76	8	-19%	#2,919
1930s	24	–	24	2	-68%	#3,380
1940s	7	–	7	1	-71%	#4,239
1950s	17	5	22	2	+214%	#4,322
1960s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1970s	16	6	22	2	–	#8,343
1980s	63	53	116	12	+427%	#4,855
1990s	130	60	190	19	+64%	#4,850
2000s	103	13	116	12	-39%	#7,594
2010s	157	5	162	16	+40%	#5,350
2020s (to 2025)	96	–	96	16	-1%	#5,732

Where Ala is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	21	0.01	outside top 500
2027	21	0.01	outside top 500
2028	21	0.01	outside top 500
2029	21	0.01	outside top 500
2030	22	0.01	outside top 500

The story of Ala

Ala is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #5,732 in 2025 with 21 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1889, 943 American babies have been named Ala, about 85% girls and 15% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1992, when 27 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ala stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ala?

The median living Ala is about 25 years old; half are between 10 and 35. An estimated 700 people named Ala are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Ala year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	21	#5,732	–	–
2024	12	#8,465	–	–
2023	14	#7,652	–	–
2022	14	#7,642	–	–
2021	19	#6,187	–	–
2020	16	#6,942	–	–
2019	20	#5,992	–	–
2018	13	#8,173	–	–
2017	24	#5,350	–	–
2016	14	#8,008	–	–
2015	22	#5,841	–	–
2014	17	#7,001	–	–
2013	15	#7,759	–	–
2012	13	#8,649	–	–
2011	9	#11,220	5	#12,353
2010	10	#10,477	–	–
2009	13	#8,910	–	–
2008	10	#10,839	–	–
2007	11	#10,148	6	#10,972
2006	8	#12,461	–	–
2005	11	#9,479	–	–
2004	10	#9,913	7	#8,956
2003	10	#9,697	–	–
2002	9	#10,284	–	–
2001	8	#11,059	–	–
2000	13	#7,594	–	–
1995	7	#10,545	5	#8,907
1990	16	#5,553	–	–
1985	7	#8,337	9	#4,341
1980	–	–	6	#5,541
1975	5	#9,081	–	–
1970	–	–	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	7	#4,322	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	6	#3,745	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	6	#4,431	–	–
1920	6	#4,406	–	–
1915	9	#2,904	–	–
1910	8	#1,774	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Ala

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Çağla Büyükakçay Turkish tennis player (born 1989) Contemporary
2 Ala ad-Din Tekish Shah of the Khwarazmian empire (r. 1172–1200 CE) 1132–1200 · Medieval

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Ala, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Ala?

The median living Ala is about 25 years old. Half of all living Alas are between 10 and 35 years old.

How many people named Ala are alive today?

An estimated 700 people named Ala are alive in the United States, based on 943 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ala mean?

Ala or Alaa is an Arabic masculine given name meaning "elevation, exaltedness, highness, loftiness, sublimity" or "honor and glory, might, power, dignity" or "prestige, greatness, noble, high in rank" or "eminence, glorious, grandeur" or…

How popular is the name Ala in 2025?

Ala ranked #5,732 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 21 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ala?

943 babies have been named Ala in the United States since 1889, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ala most popular?

Ala peaked in 1992, when 27 newborns received the name.

Is Ala a boy or girl name?

Ala is used for both: about 85% of babies named Ala have been girls and 15% boys.

Is the name Ala rising or falling?

Ala has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Ala become more popular?

Ala looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 22 girls named Ala in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Ala?

Well-known people named Ala include Çağla Büyükakçay (tennis player), Ala ad-Din Tekish (politician).

Names like Ala

Names that sound and feel close to Ala: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Ala with similar names → More names starting with A →