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Home › Baby Names Directory › Laia

Laia

♀ Girl

Pronounced A-yuh /ˈɫa.jə/Medium

Meaning: Sweetly-speakingMedium

In 30 seconds: Laia is a Catalan girl's name meaning 'sweetly-speaking'. It is a short form of Eulalia, much loved in Catalonia.
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Origin MediumCatalan
MeaningSweetly-speaking
U.S. rank (2025)#2182 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births85 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2022
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,130

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202219802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Laia developed in Catalan as the everyday form of Eulalia, a name built from Greek roots meaning 'sweetly-speaking' or 'well-spoken'. Saint Eulalia is a patron of Barcelona, which keeps Laia close to the cultural heart of the region. Catalan actress Laia Costa, who won a German Film Award for the one-shot thriller Victoria, carries the name today.

At just two syllables, Laia is brisk and bright where its parent Eulalia is long and formal. The name stays strongly tied to Catalan identity, though variants like Olaya and Eula spread the same root across Spanish and beyond.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Laia is 'sweetly-speaking', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Laia — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

EulaliaOlayaEulaLaliaEulalie

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Laia Costa (1985–present)
    Spanish (Catalan) actress who won a German Film Award for the one-shot thriller Victoria (2015).
  • ★Laia Pons (1993–present)
    Spanish artistic (synchronized) swimmer who won a bronze medal in the team event at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

If you like Laia…

Eulalia— The full Catalan name from which Laia is drawn as a short form.
Estefania— echoes that soft -ia sound
Blanca— a fellow Catalan choice
Monserrat— another Catalan name
Montserrat— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Laia

By themecatalan

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Laia mean?

Laia is usually explained as meaning 'sweetly-speaking' and is most often linked with Catalan tradition.

How do you pronounce Laia?

It's commonly said A-yuh /ˈɫa.jə/.

Is Laia a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Laia is used as a girl name.

How popular is Laia?

In 2024, Laia ranked #2056 in the U.S. for girls, with 94 births recorded.

💬 Ask Nia