Ailish vs Laya
Ailish and Layacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Ailish was ranked #357 and Laya #747 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ailish was ranked #3015 and Laya #1819 among girls in England and Wales.
Ailish and Laya over time
Ailish and Laya appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Laya held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ailish in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ailish reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Laya in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls20 shared years, 2000–2024
Ailish held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Laya in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ailish #969 in 2000, Laya #1393 in 2018.
The order changed in 2008: Laya moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #1796 and #2970; by 2008 that had become #2721 and #2292.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ailish #3015, Laya #1819.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Ailish | Laya |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #483 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1819 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ailish has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Laya.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Ailish
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #327 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #138 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1990 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #483 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Laya
Popularity journey
First recorded2000
First recorded at #3912 among girls in England and Wales in 2000 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2014–2022
Highest recorded position: #517 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 2014–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1819 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls