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Lina vs Raya

Which is more popular?
Raya is more popular than Lina today: about 831 US babies were given the name Raya in 2025, compared with 527 named Lina.
LinaRaya
Meaning Tender young palm tree Fragrance; or banner
Origin arabic arabic
Gender Girl Girl
Pronunciation LEE-nah RAH-yah
Syllables 2 2
First appeared18801958
Peak year2024 (534)2023 (867)
In 2025527831
TrendNear its peakNear its peak
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Lina Raya
18801900192019401960198020002020

Source: US Social Security Administration.

Births by decade

DecadeLinaRaya
2020s 2,942 4,256
2010s 3,441 2,087
2000s 2,516 1,052
1990s 1,725 385
1980s 1,373 138
1970s 1,050 64
1960s 909 16
1950s 746 5
1940s 655 0
1930s 707 0
1920s 1,014 0
1910s 883 0
1900s 527 0
1890s 557 0
1880s 444 0

What does Lina mean?

As an Arabic name Lina (لينة, lina) means 'a tender young palm tree', a sense that appears in the Quran (Surah al-Hashr), and connects to the root l-y-n ('soft, tender'). Disambiguation: in Europe Lina is commonly a short form of names such as Carolina or Angelina, an unrelated source.

What does Raya mean?

As an Arabic name Raya has two attested sources: rayya (ريا) 'aroma, fragrance, perfume', and raya (راية) 'flag, banner, ensign'; the intended sense varies by family, so it is best treated as disputed. Disambiguation: Raya also means 'celebration' in Malay (Hari Raya) and appears in Hebrew ('friend') and Slavic use - unrelated origins.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lina or Raya more popular?

Raya is more popular than Lina today: about 831 US babies were given the name Raya in 2025, compared with 527 named Lina.

What is the difference between Lina and Raya?

Lina means Tender young palm tree (arabic origin), while Raya means Fragrance; or banner (arabic origin).

Which name is older, Lina or Raya?

In US records, Lina first appears in 1880 and Raya in 1958, so Lina has the longer recorded history.