Alaiah is a modern American spelling that blends Aaliyah, the Arabic name meaning "exalted" or "sublime", with Alaia, which in Basque means "joyful". Like many names in this family it has no single fixed source but a clear, melodic sound. Alaiah was rare before 2019, when it jumped from number 3397 to number 1740; it peaked at number 1455 in 2020 and ranks number 1692 in 2025.