Alayna

uh-lay-nuh

Spelling variation of Alana or Elena

"bright shining light"

Alayna Origin and Meaning

The name Alayna is a girl's name meaning "bright shining light".

Blending classic with contemporary elements, Alayna is considered a spin on the name Alana, which also draws inspiration from Elaine and Elena. An obscure choice until the 80s, it began to climb the charts after fencer Alayna Snell took part in the 1984 Olympics.

While Elaine means "shining light", Alana is a name with numerous meanings including "oak tree", "child" and "cheerful." As Alayna is inspired by both, it could share any of these meanings or blend them together, to make "cheerful shining light" or "bright, shining child".
For nearly 20 years, Alayna ranked in the US Top 300, peaking in 2012 at #201. As of 2023, however, it has fallen down the charts slightly, with Elena and Alana far outranking it and Elaine coming back into style.

Alayna is now more popular in the UK than it is in the US, and 2022 saw it jump nearly 100 places up the charts. Now almost as popular as Elena, it outranks Alana - and Elaine isn't even in the running.

With its phonetic spelling, familiar sounds, and nickname potential, Alayna is given to nearly 1000 babies every year. A sweet, solid choice in its own right it might also be appealing to anyone trying to honor an Elaine or an Alan.

Alayna Rank in US Top 1000

# 315 in the US

Alayna Popularity

• 315 US 2023
• 181 Future 2028
• 245 England 2021

20 Names Similar to Alayna

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Alayna.

• Amirah
• Aliana
• Alianna
• Madelynn
• Aleah
• Addyson
• Ariah
• Jaelyn
• Allyson
• Adelynn
• Alaina
• Aleena
• Amalya
• Shanti
• Alyona
• Allisunne
• Janiah
• Taniyah
• Arissa
• Ally

Famous People Named Alayna

• Alayna Ng New Zealand ballerina
• Alayna Westcom American beauty queen; Miss Vermont 2015
• Alayna Lutkovskaya Russian pole vaulter
• Alayna Snell U.S. Virgin Islands fencer
• Alayna Messer American radio producer