Given name & surname
Chaya
“a lively woman; giver of life”
Chaya is a variant of Chaba. In Hebrew use, Chaba carries the interpretation “a lively woman; giver of life.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Chaya is a variant of Chaba. In Hebrew use, Chaba carries the interpretation “a lively woman; giver of life.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1947. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Chaya through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 15,684
- 10 boys · 15,674 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 504 babies
- 2025
- 499
- #588 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +13%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 499 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 588 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 13.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (271). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 11,308 as a first name in 2020; 343 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.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 4
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Chaya
- Chaya CzernowinIsraeli composer and academicborn 1957
- Chaya SinghIndian actressborn 1976
- Chaya Mushka Schneersonwife of the rebbe (1901–1988)
- Chaya ArbelIsraeli composer1921–2007
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Chaya, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Chava
“a lively woman; giver of life”
>99% girls
Anaiah
“Yah has answered” · “afflicted of Yah”
>99% girls
Ayla
“from the oak tree”
>99% girls
Azalea
“of the dry earth; resembling the flower” · “one who is spared by God”
>99% girls
Adalia
>99% girls
Aiah
“falcon”
>99% girls
Zara
“princess”
>99% girls
Azaliah
“Yah has set aside” · “Yah has reserved”
>99% girls