girl's name
Raya
RY-a
- Origin Arabic
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 13,881
the United States
#369
2025 births
Raya is a girl's name with several unrelated origins. It means "friend" in Arabic, "queen" or "flowing" in Hebrew, and it is a Slavic short form of Raisa — sources disagree because all three are real.
- Raya is a name of Arabic origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2023, when 867 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 963 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1958.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Raya over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1950s to 2020s. Raya is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 16 |
| 1970s | 64 |
| 1980s | 138 |
| 1990s | 385 |
| 2000s | 1,052 |
| 2010s | 2,087 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,261 |
What Raya means
Raya has no single meaning. Arabic gives friend or companion, Hebrew gives queen or one who flows, and the Slavic form is a diminutive rather than a word with a meaning of its own.
Where Raya comes from
Three independent paths produce the same spelling. In Arabic, rayya relates to being satisfied with drink, extended to a companion or friend. In Hebrew, Raya appears as a term of endearment in the Song of Songs, usually translated as my love or my companion, and is also read as connected to a root for queen. In Russian and Bulgarian, Raya is a familiar form of Raisa, itself from a Greek word for easy or willing. The 2021 film Raya and the Last Dragon introduced the name to a wider audience with a Southeast Asian setting, adding a fourth association with no etymological basis at all.
Raya in use
Our records show Raya first appearing in 1958 and peaking in 2023, at 82 in England and Wales against 369 in the United States. Names with several plausible origins tend to rise quickly, because each community recognizes it as one of their own.
How popular is Raya?
In 2025, Raya was given to 547 babies in England and Wales, ranking #82 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Raya is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Raya
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Raya also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Raya over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Raya
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Raya in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Raya
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Raya — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Raya
What does the name Raya mean?
It depends on the tradition: "friend" in Arabic, "queen" or "my love" in Hebrew, and a short form of Raisa in Russian and Bulgarian.
Is Raya from the Disney film?
The 2021 film raised its profile, but the name is much older — our United States records show it from 1958.
Why do sources disagree about Raya?
Because three unrelated languages produced the same spelling. All the readings are genuine.
How popular is the name Raya?
In 2025, Raya was given to 547 babies in England and Wales, ranking #82 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Raya a girl's or a boy's name?
Raya is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Raya?
Raya has 2 syllables.
When was Raya most popular?
Raya peaked in 2023, when 867 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Raya?
Raya is usually shortened to Ray.
Is Raya a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Raya currently ranks #73 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.