Rayah is a spelling of Raya, a name with two sources: the Hebrew re'ah, meaning "friend" or "companion", and the Arabic rayah, "banner" or "flag". The final h gives it the look of Leah and Sarah and matches the recent fashion for short -ayah names. Rayah has risen steadily in the United States, from number 7074 in 2000 and number 3336 in 2015 to number 1730 in 2025, its best rank yet.