Girl name · Basque
Alaia
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: joyful, happyAlaia is a girl's name that comes from Basque and means "joyful, happy". It is used in Spanish.
- Meaning
- Joyful, happy
- Origin
- Basque
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- ah-LYE-ah (Spanish)
Meaning and origin of Alaia
As a girl's name, Alaia comes from Basque and means "joyful, happy". It is used in Spanish.
In Spanish, say ah-LYE-ah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Alaia on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Alaia on 1 list.
“Joyful, happy; Basque. Say ah-LYE-ah”
From Spanish girl names, basque girl names
How popular is Alaia?
- US rank in 2025
- #117
- 2,318 babies, 1,442 per million girls
- Best rank
- #112 in 2024
- 2,429 babies that year
- Babies since 1986
- At least 17,682
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 0 per million |
| 1990s | 2 per million |
| 2000s | 12 per million |
| 2010s | 215 per million |
| 2020s | 1,401 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #615 | #638 | #583 | #184 | #120 | #128 | #139 | #120 | #112 | #117 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Alaia
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AglaiaSplendor, beauty (Greek, girl)
- AlainaVariant of Alana, probably influenced by Elaine (Breton, girl)
- AlanaFeminine form of Alan, possibly little rock (Breton, girl)
- AmaiaThe end (Basque, girl)
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- AlmaSoul, nourishing (Latin, girl)
- AgataGood, from Greek agathos (Greek, girl)
- AlbaThe dawn (Latin, girl)
- AlexaDefender of men (Greek, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- FelixLucky, happy (Latin, boy)
- AsherHappy, blessed (Hebrew, boy)
- FeliciaLucky, happy (Latin, girl)
- SaeedHappy, fortunate (Arabic, boy)
- AlizaJoyful (Hebrew, girl)
- BeataBlessed, happy (Latin, girl)
- BeateBlessed, happy (Latin, girl)
- DelshadHappy heart, cheerful (Persian, unisex)
- ElleryCheerful, happy (Latin, unisex)
- EtsukoJoyful child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- FadzaiMake happy, please (Shona, girl)
- FarhanHappy, cheerful (Arabic, boy)
- FelicianoLucky, happy (Latin, boy)
- FelicjaLucky, happy (Latin, girl)
- FeliksLucky, happy (Latin, boy)
Middle names for Alaia
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- DahliaFlower named for botanist Anders Dahl (Swedish, girl)
- FenellaWhite shoulder (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- HollyHolly tree (Old English, girl)
- IsabelGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- JuniperEvergreen shrub (Latin, girl)
- MarigoldMary's gold (English, girl)
- SabineSabine woman (Latin, girl)
- TheodoraGift of God (Greek, girl)
More girl names from Basque
- AmayaVariant of Amaia, Basque for the end (Basque, girl)
- AinaraSwallow (the bird) (Basque, girl)
- AinhoaFrom a Basque town with a famous image of the Virgin Mary (Basque, girl)
- ArantxaPet form of Arantzazu, from arantza, thornbush (Basque, girl)
- AranzaThornbush (Basque, girl)
- EdurneSnow (Basque, girl)
- GoizargiMorning light (Basque, girl)
- HaizeaWind (Basque, girl)
- IlargiThe moon (Basque, girl)
- IratiFern field (Basque, girl)
- ItsasoSea, ocean (Basque, girl)
- ItxaroHope, waiting (Basque, girl)
- ItzalShadow (Basque, girl)
- ItziarFrom a Basque village with a shrine to the Virgin Mary (Basque, girl)
- IzarA star (Basque, unisex)
- IzaroIsland (Basque, girl)
- JavieraNew house (Basque, girl)
- MaiteBeloved (Basque, girl)
Alaia: common questions
What does the name Alaia mean?
Alaia comes from Basque and means "joyful, happy".
Is Alaia a boy or girl name?
Alaia is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 2,318 girls and 6 boys in the US were named Alaia, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Alaia come from?
Alaia comes from Basque and means "joyful, happy". Today it is used in Spanish.
How do you pronounce Alaia?
In Spanish, say ah-LYE-ah. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Alaia?
Alaia ranked #117 in the US in 2025, with 2,318 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Alaia?
Names spelled like Alaia include Aglaia, Alaina, Alana, Amaia and Alina.
What middle names go with Alaia?
Middle names that flow well with Alaia include Dahlia, Fenella, Holly, Isabel and Juniper. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.