Araia
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "excellent".
Name Census estimates that about 109 living Americans carry the first name Araia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Araia today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Araia births was 2022 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Araia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Araia with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
109
~ 1 in 3,144,535 Americans
Peak year
2022
12 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,974
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Araia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Araia from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 47 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Araia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Araia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Araia
The given name Araia is believed to have its origins in the Basque language, spoken primarily in the Basque Country, a region spanning parts of northern Spain and southwestern France. The name is thought to derive from the Basque word "araia," which means "valley" or "meadow."
In ancient Basque culture, names were often inspired by natural features and elements, reflecting the deep connection between the people and their environment. The name Araia may have been bestowed upon children born in or near a picturesque valley or meadow, serving as a symbolic link between the individual and the surrounding landscape.
While the name's earliest recorded instances are difficult to pinpoint with certainty, it is believed to have been in use among the Basque population for centuries. Some scholars suggest that variations of the name, such as "Araia" or "Araya," can be found in medieval Basque documents and records.
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the name Araia was Araia Lopez de Haro, a 14th-century noblewoman from the Basque region of Spain. She was a prominent figure in her time and played a significant role in the political and social affairs of the region.
Another notable figure was Araia Isasi (1556-1628), a Basque writer and poet who contributed to the preservation and promotion of the Basque language and culture through her literary works.
In the 17th century, Araia Jauregi (1620-1698) was a renowned Basque architect and stonemason, renowned for her contributions to the construction of many notable buildings and structures in the Basque Country.
Moving forward in history, Araia Irigoyen (1778-1842) was a Basque military officer who fought in the Peninsular War against the French Empire, earning recognition for her bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
More recently, Araia Iturrioz (1901-1980) was a prominent Basque educator and writer who played a significant role in promoting and preserving the Basque language and culture through her work in education and literature.
While the name Araia has its roots in the Basque culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in Spanish-speaking regions influenced by Basque culture and migration.
People
Araia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Araia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Araia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Araia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 109 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Araia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,144,535 US residents.
Is Araia a common name?
We classify Araia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 110 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Araia most popular?
The single biggest year for Araia was 2022, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Araia is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Araia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Araia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Araia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Araia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Araia in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Araia can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Araia?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.