Alaya is a distinctive girls' name in United States, ranking #1853 in 2002 with 96 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2020 with 913 births ranking #338. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 108.7%. In 2002, approximately 1 in every 18,717 girls born was named Alaya. RISING Recent data shows the name is currently rising.
Alaya is best understood as a modern variant of Alayah. In turn, Alayah is usually treated as a creative offshoot of Aaliyah, so the broader name family points back to the Arabic root associated with height or loftiness.
This is a modern formation rather than a long-established traditional name. Some websites point to the Sanskrit Buddhist term alaya, but Behind the Name treats that as a coincidence rather than the main naming origin.