Alaya

A name with many passports, Alaya surfaces in Sanskrit as a word meaning dwelling or abode, in Arabic as a variant of Aaliyah meaning exalted, and in Hebrew with connotations of ascent. That convergence across traditions has helped it climb American charts since the early 2000s, when the broader Aaliyah family of names moved into the mainstream. Two airy syllables, vowel-rich and open-mouthed, nothing to trip over. The name moves easily between cultures without belonging only to one, which suits the children growing up now. Alaya sounds like a greeting called across a sunlit courtyard, warm and unguarded.