Raya is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Raya means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Raya across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Raya has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Raya is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “friend, or flowing”. A Hebrew name, also found in Arabic and Slavic languages.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 8,008 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 3,154 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 200 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 99 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 139 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Raya per year, United States (1958 to 2025). United States peaked in 2023 (867/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2024 (574/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2025 (48/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2025 (42/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2024 (28/yr).
Raya has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2023, when it ranked #737 nationally (given to 1,428 babies that year).
Roy · Ray · Rae · Rhea · Rey · Riya · Reya · Raye
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