Given name & surname
Priya
“one who loves and is loved”
Priya is a variant of Preeti. One Indian interpretation is “one who loves and is loved.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Priya is a variant of Preeti. One Indian interpretation is “one who loves and is loved.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Sanskrit.
How it developed
The name draws on Sanskrit priyā, meaning “beloved, dear”.
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
Priya through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 6,562
- 0 boys · 6,562 girls
- Most popular year
- 2014
- 211 babies
- 2025
- 99
- #1,956 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −17%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 99 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,956 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 16.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 211 in 2014. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (9). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 11,068 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Priya’s family of names
Priya has a related form in Preeti. In Telugu usage, Priya is a Roman-alphabet rendering of ప్రియ. In Telugu usage, Priya is a transliteration of ప్రియ.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Priya
- Priya AnandIndian actressborn 1986
- Priya Prakash VarrierIndian actress (1999-present)
- Priya RajvanshIndian actress1937–2000
- Priya GillIndian actressborn 1975
- Priya DuttIndian politicianborn 1966
- Priya TendulkarMarathi actress and social activist (1954–2002)
- Priya BanerjeeIndian actressborn 1990
- Priya RamanIndian actressborn 1974
- Priya CooperAustralian Paralympic swimmerborn 1974
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Priya, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Aanya
“inexhaustible”
>99% girls
Pragya
“wisdom”
>99% girls
Naina
Naina is a feminine given name from Sanskrit. It is used in English and Faroese.
>99% girls
Shreya
“a lucky woman”
>99% girls
Srishti
Srishti is a feminine given name from Sanskrit.
>99% girls
Adhira
Adhira is a masculine given name from Sanskrit.
>99% girls
Ananya
Ananya is a masculine given name from Sanskrit.
>99% girls
Niharika
Niharika is a feminine given name from Sanskrit.
>99% girls