Given name & surname · also Japanese
Aya
“birdlike woman; ability to fly swiftly”·“woven silk”·“resembling a bird”
Aya is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “birdlike woman; ability to fly swiftly”, “woven silk”, and “resembling a bird”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Original Japanese愛
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “birdlike woman; ability to fly swiftly”, “woven silk”, and “resembling a bird”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Hebrew and Japanese naming traditions.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1972. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Aya through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,987
- 0 boys · 7,987 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 469 babies
- 2025
- 449
- #644 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +17%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 449 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 644 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 16.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (57). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 7,553 as a first name in 2020; 240 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.
Aya’s family of names
In English usage, Aya has a related form in Aja. Aya has a related form in Ayah. Aya has a related form in Aiya.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Aya has relatives in 5 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
Hebrewwhere Aya comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 7
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Aya
- Aya MiyamaJapanese association football playerborn 1985
- Aya NakamuraMalian-French singer (born 1995)
- Aya SameshimaJapanese association football playerborn 1987
- Aya ShimokozuruJapanese association football playerborn 1982
- Aya UetoJapanese actress, singer, model, tarento, and occasional radio personalityborn 1985
- Aya MatsuuraJapanese female singer, talent, television presenter and former idol (1986-)
- Aya HisakawaJapanese voice actress and singerborn 1968
- Aya HiranoJapanese voice actress and singerborn 1987
- Aya CashAmerican actressborn 1982
Characters named Aya: Aya Brea (Parasite Eve).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Aya, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ayla
“from the oak tree”
>99% girls
Ieva
“bird cherry”
>99% girls
Amaya
“of the night rain”
>99% girls
Alani
“from the orange tree”
1% boys · 99% girls
Aspen
“from the aspen tree”
13% boys · 87% girls
Azalea
“of the dry earth; resembling the flower” · “one who is spared by God”
>99% girls
Kaylani
“of the sky and sea”
>99% girls
Talia
“morning dew from heaven” · “blooming”
>99% girls