Alayah is a modern spelling of Aliyah or Aaliyah, the Arabic name meaning "exalted" or "sublime"; the -ayah ending gives it the lilt of Amaya and Nyla. The spelling grew alongside the singer Aaliyah's enduring popularity in the 2000s and 2010s. Alayah entered the US top 1000 in 2010, jumped to a peak of number 278 in 2020 and ranks number 412 in 2025.