Soraya: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#868

among girls · ↑43 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

313

named Soraya · +7% vs 2024

How common

1 in 5,135

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2025

313 babies

All-time total

6,811

#2,106 all-time among girls

First recorded

1955

in Social Security records

Soraya popularity over time

6,811 babies have been named Soraya since 1955, 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	61	6	–	#2,157
1960s	326	33	+434%	#1,826
1970s	313	31	-4%	#1,823
1980s	422	42	+35%	#2,009
1990s	629	63	+49%	#1,914
2000s	1,580	158	+151%	#1,079
2010s	1,963	196	+24%	#1,121
2020s (to 2025)	1,517	253	+29%	#868

Where Soraya 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	332	0.21	outside top 500
2027	349	0.22	outside top 500
2028	365	0.23	outside top 500
2029	378	0.24	outside top 500
2030	390	0.24	outside top 500

Where Soraya is most popular

Girls named Soraya per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.163 per 1,000. Strongest in New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania.

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 Soraya 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 York	123	0.311	+91%
Florida	127	0.297	+82%
Pennsylvania	53	0.224	+38%
Washington	31	0.215	+32%
California	178	0.212	+30%
Georgia	47	0.207	+27%
Massachusetts	25	0.207	+27%
Arizona	29	0.207	+27%
New Mexico	5	0.206	+26%
New Jersey	36	0.199	+22%
Maryland	21	0.198	+22%
Nebraska	7	0.195	+20%
Virginia	33	0.194	+19%
Michigan	30	0.165	≈ national
Ohio	39	0.164	≈ national
North Carolina	37	0.163	≈ national
Texas	118	0.147	-10%
Colorado	15	0.134	-17%
Nevada	6	0.129	-21%
Minnesota	13	0.120	-26%
Illinois	27	0.118	-28%
Indiana	13	0.093	-43%
Connecticut	5	0.086	-47%
Iowa	5	0.086	-47%
Oklahoma	6	0.082	-50%
Louisiana	5	0.057	-65%
South Carolina	5	0.056	-66%
Tennessee	6	0.038	-77%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
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 Soraya

Soraya is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #868 in 2025 with 313 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1955, 6,811 American babies have been named Soraya. Its peak came in 2025, when 313 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 Soraya stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Soraya?

The median living Soraya is about 15 years old; half are between 6 and 26. An estimated 6,700 people named Soraya 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.

Soraya year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	313	#868
2024	292	#911
2023	212	#1,150
2022	242	#1,054
2021	262	#990
2020	196	#1,186
2019	215	#1,132
2018	187	#1,248
2017	177	#1,320
2016	197	#1,240
2015	201	#1,233
2014	180	#1,319
2013	192	#1,246
2012	198	#1,230
2011	219	#1,121
2010	197	#1,228
2009	170	#1,397
2008	190	#1,312
2007	237	#1,099
2006	236	#1,079
2005	172	#1,299
2004	144	#1,435
2003	135	#1,459
2002	104	#1,748
2001	100	#1,794
2000	92	#1,864
1995	67	#2,045
1990	54	#2,342
1985	38	#2,589
1980	53	#2,009
1975	33	#2,448
1970	36	#2,235
1965	40	#1,826
1960	23	#2,564
1955	6	#5,748
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Soraya

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

1 Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary Queen of Iran from 1951 to 1958 1932–2001 · Contemporary
2 Soraya Tarzi First queen consort of Afghanistan (1899–1968) 19th century
3 Soraya Colombian-American singer-songwriter (1969–2006) Contemporary
4 Soraya Arnelas Spanish singer b. 1982 · Contemporary
5 Soraya Jiménez Mexican weightlifter (1977–2013) Contemporary
6 Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría Spanish politician (born 1971) Contemporary
7 Soraya Haddad Algerian judoka (born 1984) Contemporary
8 Soraya Post Swedish politician b. 1956 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Soraya?

The median living Soraya is about 15 years old. Half of all living Sorayas are between 6 and 26 years old.

How many people named Soraya are alive today?

An estimated 6,700 people named Soraya are alive in the United States, based on 6,811 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Soraya in 2025?

Soraya ranked #868 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 313 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Soraya?

6,811 babies have been named Soraya in the United States since 1955, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Soraya most popular?

Soraya peaked in 2025, when 313 newborns received the name.

Is Soraya a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Soraya rising or falling?

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

Will Soraya become more popular?

Soraya is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 390 girls named Soraya in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Soraya?

Well-known people named Soraya include Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary (companion), Soraya Tarzi (politician), Soraya (singer).

Names like Soraya

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

Compare Soraya with similar names → More names starting with S →