Given name & surname
Jaya
Jaya is used as a given name and a surname. One Hindi interpretation is “a victorious woman; in Hinduism, one of the names of the wife of Shiva.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hindi interpretation is “a victorious woman; in Hinduism, one of the names of the wife of Shiva.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hindi.
How it developed
Jaya is used as a feminine counterpart of Jay.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1969. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Jaya through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,935
- 28 boys · 3,907 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 189 babies
- 2025
- 84
- #2,204 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −22%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 84 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,204 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 21.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 183 in 2007. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (11). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,196 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.
Jaya’s family of names
Jaya is a feminine form of Jay. Jaya has a related form in Jae. Jaya has a related form in Jayah.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Jaya
- Jaya BachchanIndian politician and actressborn 1948
- Jaya PradaIndian actress and politicianborn 1962
- Jaya BhattacharyaIndian actressborn 1972
- Jaya AhsanBangladeshi model and actressborn 1983
- Jaya ThyagarajanIndian artistborn 1954
- Jaya MehtaGujarati poet, critic and translator from Gujarat, India1932–2025
- Jaya KishoriIndian motivational speakerborn 1995
- Jaya Rao PolimeraIndian bishopborn 1965
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jaya, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ajaya
Ajaya is used as a given name. One Hindi interpretation is “one who is invincible; having the power of a god.”
>99% girls
Shreya
“a lucky woman”
>99% girls
Ramya
“an elegant and beautiful woman”
>99% girls
Vinaya
“one with discipline; good behavior”
>99% girls
Anila
“child of the wind”
>99% girls
Ahalya
Ahalya is used as a given name. One Hindi interpretation is “in Hinduism, a woman who was turned to stone by her husband.”
>99% girls
Anisha
“a woman graced with God's favor” · “one who is pure; chaste”
>99% girls
Raaya
Raaya is a feminine given name from Hindi.
>99% girls