Kalayah: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,617

among girls · ↓86 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

129

named Kalayah · -8% vs 2024

How common

1 in 12,459

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2024

140 babies

All-time total

1,442

#5,849 all-time among girls

First recorded

1998

in Social Security records

Kalayah popularity over time

1,442 babies have been named Kalayah since 1998, 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

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	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	–	–	–
1990s	7	1	–	#11,716
2000s	184	18	+2529%	#4,316
2010s	527	53	+186%	#2,363
2020s (to 2025)	724	121	+129%	#1,531

Where Kalayah 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	142	0.09	outside top 500
2027	154	0.10	outside top 500
2028	166	0.10	outside top 500
2029	176	0.11	outside top 500
2030	185	0.12	outside top 500

Where Kalayah is most popular

Girls named Kalayah per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.077 per 1,000. Strongest in South Carolina, Alabama, and Ohio.

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 Kalayah 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
South Carolina	18	0.200	+160%
Alabama	17	0.181	+135%
Ohio	32	0.135	+75%
North Carolina	29	0.127	+65%
Georgia	27	0.119	+54%
Virginia	18	0.106	+37%
Michigan	18	0.099	+28%
Florida	34	0.079	≈ national
Texas	61	0.076	≈ national
Indiana	9	0.064	-17%
Louisiana	5	0.057	-26%
California	45	0.054	-31%
Minnesota	5	0.046	-40%
Pennsylvania	6	0.025	-67%
New York	10	0.025	-67%
Illinois	5	0.022	-72%
Alaska	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
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 Kalayah

Kalayah is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #1,617 in 2025 with 129 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1998, 1,442 American babies have been named Kalayah. Its peak came in 2024, when 140 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 Kalayah stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kalayah?

The median living Kalayah is about 5 years old; half are between 2 and 11. An estimated 1,400 people named Kalayah 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.

Kalayah year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	129	#1,617
2024	140	#1,531
2023	117	#1,754
2022	124	#1,689
2021	115	#1,776
2020	99	#1,935
2019	76	#2,363
2018	60	#2,824
2017	67	#2,622
2016	55	#3,036
2015	47	#3,408
2014	59	#2,904
2013	54	#3,061
2012	41	#3,816
2011	26	#5,284
2010	42	#3,718
2009	35	#4,316
2008	28	#5,205
2007	26	#5,451
2006	29	#4,886
2005	15	#7,700
2004	13	#8,478
2003	15	#7,384
2002	14	#7,615
2001	–	–
2000	9	#10,283
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Kalayah?

The median living Kalayah is about 5 years old. Half of all living Kalayahs are between 2 and 11 years old.

How many people named Kalayah are alive today?

An estimated 1,400 people named Kalayah are alive in the United States, based on 1,442 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Kalayah in 2025?

Kalayah ranked #1,617 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 129 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kalayah?

1,442 babies have been named Kalayah in the United States since 1998, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kalayah most popular?

Kalayah peaked in 2024, when 140 newborns received the name.

Is Kalayah a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Kalayah rising or falling?

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

Will Kalayah become more popular?

Kalayah is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 185 girls named Kalayah in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Kalayah

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

Compare Kalayah with similar names → More names starting with K →