Zalaya
A feminine given name of Arabic origin meaning "survivor" or "prosperous".
Name Census estimates that about 517 living Americans carry the first name Zalaya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zalaya today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zalaya births was 2023 (65 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zalaya. 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
517
~ 1 in 662,968 Americans
Peak year
2023
65 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,438
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Zalaya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zalaya from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 233 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
Zalaya 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 Zalaya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zalayas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, Florida, California recorded the most babies named Zalaya, while North Carolina, Georgia, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zalaya
The name Zalaya is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language of India. It is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "zalay," which means "to shine" or "to radiate." The name is believed to have been in use as early as the 5th century BCE, during the height of the Vedic period in India.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zalaya can be found in the ancient Hindu text, the Mahabharata. In this epic, Zalaya is mentioned as the name of a minor character, a warrior who fought alongside the Pandavas in the great battle of Kurukshetra.
During the medieval period, the name Zalaya gained popularity among the ruling classes of India. Several princesses and noblewomen bore this name, including Zalaya Devi, who lived in the 12th century and was known for her patronage of the arts and her charitable works.
In the 16th century, Zalaya was the name of a famous Indian courtesan and poet who was renowned for her beauty and her mastery of the art of poetry. Her poems, which celebrated the themes of love and spirituality, were widely admired and continue to be studied to this day.
Another notable figure in history with the name Zalaya was Zalaya Bano, a 17th-century Mughal princess who was known for her intelligence and her skill in diplomacy. She played a crucial role in negotiating several important treaties between the Mughal Empire and its neighboring kingdoms.
In more recent times, Zalaya was the name of a prominent Indian freedom fighter who fought against British colonial rule in the early 20th century. Zalaya Devi, born in 1892, was a member of the Indian National Congress and was imprisoned several times for her participation in the non-violent resistance movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
Despite its ancient origins and historical significance, the name Zalaya remains relatively uncommon today, both in India and around the world. However, its meaning and associations with radiance, beauty, and strength continue to make it a unique and meaningful choice for parents seeking a name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Zalaya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zalaya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zalaya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zalaya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 517 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zalaya 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 662,968 US residents.
Is Zalaya a common name?
We classify Zalaya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 521 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zalaya most popular?
The single biggest year for Zalaya was 2023, when 65 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zalaya is about 9 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 Zalaya in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zalaya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zalaya 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 Zalaya still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zalaya 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 Zalaya 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 named Zalaya?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.