Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Alayah

Alaya(h) is essentially an Indian name most often associated with the Buddhist term “ālaya-vijñāna” which roughly translates to the “storehouse consciousness” with “ālaya” meaning “dwelling, abode” and “vijñāna” meaning “consciousness”. The concept was developed by the Yogācāra school of Indian Buddhism long ago sometime between the 2nd and 5th centuries – it basically represents our karma’s home-base, so to speak. It’s the 8th level of consciousness after the six senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, thought) and the seventh consciousness as represented by our misguided awareness or delusive perceptions of our stream-of-consciousness. The 8th consciousness provides the basis of the other seven – reflexive memory where all energy is stored – while the other seven levels of consciousness are forever evolving and transforming. The goal is to cleanse this mixture of yin/yang energy in the ālaya-vijñāna until it’s purified into goodness and wisdom; such purification leads to awakening. If you like this name for its Buddhist connection, then you might want to stick with the Alaya spelling (without the h) otherwise it looks more like an Americanized elaboration. Just consider the awe-inspiring Himalayan mountain range that spans the Indian subcontinent with Nepal/Tibet. Himalaya means “House of Snow” from the elements “alaya” (abode) and “hima” (snow). Lastly, some American parents are using Alaya(h) as an alternative spelling of Aliyah which means “ascent” in Hebrew in reference to the Jewish diaspora; in Zionist ideology it represents the Israelite’s return to the Promised Land from which the Jewish people were expelled dating back to the Babylonian exile of the 6th century B.C.

All About the Baby Name – Alayah

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME ALAYAH

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME ALAYAH

Alayah did not show up on the American popularity charts until 2010 (following Alaya in 2009). Both names are quite new to the Top 1000 list, so it’s hard to ascertain if the influence is coming from Indian-Americans, African-Americans or general appreciators of Buddhism. Perhaps some parents just like the sound of the name above all else. We do have to assume that part of the name’s attraction is coming from the popularity of A(a)liyah, but so many of these A names seem to morph together.

Quick Facts

ON ALAYAH

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

American

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

613

PRONUNCIATION:

a-LAY-ah

SIMPLE MEANING:

Dwelling, abode

Characteristics

OF ALAYAH

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Alayah

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ALAYAH

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Alayah

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ALAYAH

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Alayah


Popular Songs

ON ALAYAH

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Alayah


Famous People

NAMED ALAYAH

We cannot find any celebrities or significantly famous people with the first name Alayah.

Children of Famous People

NAMED ALAYAH

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Alayah

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ALAYAH

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Alayah