The first name Alaia
A girl’s name from Basque meaning “joyful”, “ascent”, “high”.
2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Basque origin
Alaia means “joyful”, “ascent”, “high” in Basque.
Borrowed in the 21st century from Basque Alaia, from alai (“joyful”). For earlier use among English-speakers, compare Hebrew עֲלִיָּה ('alīyá, “ascent”), Arabic عَالِيَة (ʕāliya, “high, exalted”).
More names that mean joy.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 163 girls were named Alaia, making it the 279th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2020, with 181 births (#262).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Alaia with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Alaia at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 2,318 girls born in the United States were named Alaia, the 117th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2024, when 2,429 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Questions
- What does the name Alaia mean?
- Alaia means “joyful”, “ascent”, “high” in Basque.
- What is the origin of the name Alaia?
- Borrowed in the 21st century from Basque Alaia, from alai (“joyful”). For earlier use among English-speakers, compare Hebrew עֲלִיָּה ('alīyá, “ascent”), Arabic عَالِيَة (ʕāliya, “high, exalted”).
- How popular is the name Alaia?
- In 2025, 163 girls born in England and Wales were named Alaia, ranking 279th. Its peak was 2020, with 181 births.
- Is Alaia a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 17,699 US babies named Alaia since 1880 were girls.
- When was Alaia most popular?
- 2024 in the United States, when 2,429 babies were named Alaia, its highest rank at 112th.