Given name & surname
Anya
“a woman graced with God's favor”
Anya is a variant of Anna. One Latin interpretation is “a woman graced with God's favor.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Anya is a variant of Anna. One Latin interpretation is “a woman graced with God's favor.”
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Cebuano usage, Anya developed from the Russian form Аня.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1943. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Anya through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 20,561
- 0 boys · 20,561 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 895 babies
- 2025
- 821
- #375 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +54%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 821 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 375 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 53.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 895 in 2007. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (134). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 17,277 as a first name in 2020; 296 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Anya’s family of names
In Cebuano usage, Anya developed from the Russian form Аня. Anya has a related form in Anna. In English usage, Anya has a conventional equivalent in the Danish form Anja.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Anya has relatives in 10 languages.
5 related names in 10 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 21
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Anya
- Anya Taylor-JoyAmerican actress and model (born 1996)
- Anya ChalotraBritish actressborn 1995
- Anya SinghIndian actressborn 1992
- Anya Rozovaphoto model from Russiaborn 1989
- Anya MarinaAmerican musicianborn 1976
- Anya PenchevaBulgarian actressborn 1957
- Anya SetonAmerican author of historical fiction (1904-1990)
- Anya MajorBritish athlete and actorborn 1966
- Anya MonzikovaRussian-American actor and modelborn 1984
Characters named Anya: Anya Forger (Spy × Family), Anya Jenkins (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Anya Amasova (James Bond).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Anya, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“one who rules with elfwisdom”
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Kinley
Kinley is a feminine given name from Scottish Gaelic.
1% boys · 99% girls
McKenzie
In English use, McKenzie has a related form in Mackenzie. Interpretations include “daughter of a wise leader; a fiery woman; one who is fair” and “the son of a wise leader; a fiery man; one who is fair”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
1% boys · 99% girls