Chaya: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#588

among girls · ↑11 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

499

named Chaya · -1% vs 2024

How common

1 in 3,221

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2024

504 babies

All-time total

15,684

#1,248 all-time among girls

First recorded

1947

in Social Security records

Chaya popularity over time

15,684 babies have been named Chaya since 1947, 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	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	25	–	25	3	–	#3,415
1950s	207	–	207	21	+728%	#2,025
1960s	279	–	279	28	+35%	#1,950
1970s	783	–	783	78	+181%	#1,129
1980s	1,586	10	1,596	160	+104%	#817
1990s	2,209	–	2,209	221	+38%	#832
2000s	3,568	–	3,568	357	+62%	#701
2010s	4,122	–	4,122	412	+16%	#638
2020s (to 2025)	2,895	–	2,895	483	+17%	#588

Where Chaya 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	510	0.32	outside top 500
2027	520	0.32	outside top 500
2028	528	0.33	outside top 500
2029	535	0.33	outside top 500
2030	541	0.34	outside top 500

Where Chaya is most popular

Girls named Chaya per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.303 per 1,000. Strongest in New Jersey, New York, and Maryland.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Chaya born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
New Jersey	671	3.72	+1126%
New York	1,356	3.42	+1029%
Maryland	36	0.340	+12%
Pennsylvania	48	0.203	-33%
Florida	59	0.138	-55%
Connecticut	7	0.120	-60%
Ohio	23	0.097	-68%
Michigan	16	0.088	-71%
Illinois	18	0.079	-74%
California	61	0.073	-76%
Georgia	13	0.057	-81%
Tennessee	5	0.032	-90%
Texas	10	0.012	-96%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Chaya

Chaya is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #588 in 2025 with 499 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1947, 15,684 American babies have been named Chaya. Its peak came in 2024, when 504 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Chaya stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Chaya?

The median living Chaya is about 17 years old; half are between 8 and 30. An estimated 15 thousand people named Chaya 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.

Chaya 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	499	#588	–	–
2024	504	#599	–	–
2023	494	#602	–	–
2022	503	#595	–	–
2021	461	#646	–	–
2020	434	#662	–	–
2019	443	#660	–	–
2018	469	#638	–	–
2017	422	#691	–	–
2016	405	#707	–	–
2015	379	#743	–	–
2014	416	#681	–	–
2013	405	#698	–	–
2012	406	#692	–	–
2011	393	#709	–	–
2010	384	#730	–	–
2009	402	#721	–	–
2008	403	#740	–	–
2007	409	#715	–	–
2006	369	#751	–	–
2005	373	#726	–	–
2004	349	#752	–	–
2003	321	#771	–	–
2002	357	#701	–	–
2001	290	#810	–	–
2000	295	#774	–	–
1995	217	#877	–	–
1990	215	#895	–	–
1985	130	#1,110	–	–
1980	114	#1,178	–	–
1975	103	#1,129	–	–
1970	41	#2,022	–	–
1965	22	#2,612	–	–
1960	16	#3,106	–	–
1955	27	#2,071	–	–
1950	9	#3,710	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Chaya?

The median living Chaya is about 17 years old. Half of all living Chayas are between 8 and 30 years old.

How many people named Chaya are alive today?

An estimated 15 thousand people named Chaya are alive in the United States, based on 15,684 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Chaya mean?

From Hebrew חַיָּה (ḥayyā, “living”).

How popular is the name Chaya in 2025?

Chaya ranked #588 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 499 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Chaya?

15,684 babies have been named Chaya in the United States since 1947, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Chaya most popular?

Chaya peaked in 2024, when 504 newborns received the name.

Is Chaya a boy or girl name?

Chaya is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Chaya rising or falling?

Chaya is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Chaya become more popular?

Chaya is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 541 girls named Chaya in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Chaya

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

Compare Chaya with similar names → More names starting with C →