Catalaya
Meaning of Catalaya
Catalaya (/kəˈtɑleɪə/) is a contemporary feminine given name in the Anglo-American onomastic tradition, deriving etymologically from the botanical genus Cattleya—honoring the English horticulturist William Cattley—and reconfigured orthographically through the use of a single “t” and the terminal “aya” sequence to produce a form that is both distinctive and phonetically transparent. As a morphological innovation, it conveys associations of botanical elegance and cultivated refinement without departing from standard English phonotactic patterns, thereby appealing to parents who prioritize originality alongside ease of pronunciation. An analysis of U.S. Social Security data from 2012 through 2024 reveals a consistent, if niche, presence within the lower quartile of the top 1,000 female names: annual occurrences have ranged from a low of 36 births in 2023 (rank 922) to a high of 64 in 2014 (rank 899), with a peak rank of 887 in 2013; most recently, 47 newborns received the name in 2024, placing it at rank 903 and underscoring its sustained, specialized appeal.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as ka-tuh-LAY-uh (/kəˈtɑleɪə/)
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