Mahayla
A feminine name with uncertain origins, possibly a variant of Maya.
Name Census estimates that about 901 living Americans carry the first name Mahayla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mahayla today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mahayla births was 2010 (57 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mahayla. 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.
People living today
901
~ 1 in 380,415 Americans
Peak year
2010
57 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,284
Tracked since 1994
Census
Mahayla in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 691 people with the first name Mahayla, which placed it at #16,359 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#16,359
National first-name rank
People counted
691
691 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
65.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mahayla
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Mahayla is White at 65.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.9%) and Hispanic (9.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Mahayla described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Mahayla at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.7% · 454
- Two or more races12.9% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 66
- Black or African American8.1% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.5% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 2
Popularity
Mahayla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mahayla from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 383 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mahayla 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 Mahayla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mahaylas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio recorded the most babies named Mahayla, while Washington, Florida, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mahayla
The name Mahayla is a relatively modern invention, with its origins shrouded in mystery. While its exact roots are unknown, it is believed to be a combination of elements from various languages and cultures.
One possible theory suggests that Mahayla is a blend of the Hebrew name Mahala, meaning "tender" or "delicate," and the Arabic name Layla, meaning "night" or "dark beauty." This fusion of Hebrew and Arabic elements could symbolize a harmonious union of cultures and traditions.
Another speculation is that Mahayla derives from the Sanskrit word "maha," meaning "great" or "mighty," and the Gaelic "yla," implying "from the island." This interpretation could signify a name with strong, powerful roots originating from distant lands.
While there are no definitive historical records or ancient texts mentioning the name Mahayla, it has gained popularity in recent decades as a unique and melodic choice for parents seeking a distinctive moniker for their child.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mahayla can be traced back to Mahayla Laureano, a Dominican-American actress born in 1982. She gained recognition for her roles in television series such as "The Sopranos" and "Boardwalk Empire."
Another notable figure bearing the name is Mahayla Dickerson, an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. Born in 1990, she founded her own clothing line, showcasing her innovative designs and stylish aesthetic.
In the world of sports, Mahayla Howell, an American track and field athlete born in 1995, made a name for herself as a talented sprinter, winning multiple national championships.
The literary world has also seen its share of Mahaylas, with Mahayla Somerville, a Canadian author born in 1988, gaining critical acclaim for her poetic works exploring themes of identity and self-discovery.
Lastly, Mahayla Rivera, a Mexican-American artist born in 1983, has made waves in the contemporary art scene with her thought-provoking installations and sculptures, challenging societal norms and exploring complex narratives.
While the name Mahayla may be relatively new, it has already left its mark across various fields, embodying a sense of strength, beauty, and uniqueness that has captivated many.
People
Mahayla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mahayla as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mahayla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mahayla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 901 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mahayla 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 380,415 US residents.
Is Mahayla a common name?
We classify Mahayla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 912 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mahayla most popular?
The single biggest year for Mahayla was 2010, when 57 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mahayla is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Mahayla in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 691 people with the name Mahayla, or 0.23 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #16,359 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Mahayla in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Mahayla?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Mahayla appears almost entirely female. Of the 695 people counted with this name, 99.9% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Mahayla?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Mahayla is White at 65.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.9%) and Hispanic (9.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Mahayla most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Mahayla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.7% (454 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Mahayla in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mahayla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mahayla 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 Mahayla still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mahayla 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 Mahayla 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.
How many people share the name Mahayla?
You can see how many people have the name Mahayla on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.