Unisex name · Sanskrit
Arya
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: noble, honorableArya is a gender-neutral name that comes from Sanskrit and means "noble, honorable". It is used in Indian and English.
- Meaning
- Noble, honorable
- Origin
- Sanskrit
- Gender
- Unisex
- Say it
- AR-yah
Meaning and origin of Arya
As a gender-neutral name, Arya comes from Sanskrit and means "noble, honorable". It is used in Indian and English.
Say it AR-yah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Arya on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Arya on 1 list.
“Noble, honorable; Sanskrit. Used for girls and boys. Say AR-yah”
From Strong female names, brave and bold girl names
How popular is Arya?
In 2025, 1,858 girls and 54 boys in the US were named Arya.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #158
- 1,858 babies, 1,156 per million girls
- Best rank
- #92 in 2019
- 3,051 babies that year
- Babies since 1986
- At least 29,536
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 1 per million |
| 1990s | 4 per million |
| 2000s | 67 per million |
| 2010s | 882 per million |
| 2020s | 1,314 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #169 | #135 | #119 | #92 | #113 | #120 | #122 | #139 | #161 | #158 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #2,483
- 54 babies, 32 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1,445 in 2008
- 114 babies that year
- Babies since 1982
- At least 2,335
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 8 per million |
| 1990s | 15 per million |
| 2000s | 43 per million |
| 2010s | 38 per million |
| 2020s | 31 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,387 | #2,678 | #2,582 | #2,628 | #2,762 | #2,655 | #2,243 | #2,417 | #2,393 | #2,483 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Arya
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- AryanNoble (Sanskrit, boy)
Names spelled like Arya
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AnyaShort form of Anna, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AraElegant silk (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- AriaFrom the Italian word aria, song, melody; literally air (Italian, girl)
- ArkaThe sun, a ray of light (Sanskrit, boy)
- ArwaFemale ibex (Arabic, girl)
- AsyaAsia (Turkish, girl)
- AyaColor (Japanese, girl)
- AnnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AdelaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdeleNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AdelaideNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AdelinaNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AdelineNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AlfonsoNoble and ready (Gothic, boy)
- AlidaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AlisonNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
- HeidiNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- KarimGenerous, noble (Arabic, boy)
- MajidGlorious, noble (Arabic, boy)
Middle names for Arya
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More names from Sanskrit
- BodhiEnlightenment (Sanskrit, boy)
- AadhyaFirst, primal (Sanskrit, girl)
- AarohiAscending, a rising musical scale (Sanskrit, girl)
- AbhaSplendor, light (Sanskrit, girl)
- AbhayFearless (Sanskrit, boy)
- AbhilashDesire, wish (Sanskrit, boy)
- AbhilashaDesire, wish (Sanskrit, girl)
- AditiBoundless, limitless (Sanskrit, girl)
- AdityaSon of Aditi; the sun (Sanskrit, boy)
- AdvaitNon-duality (Sanskrit, boy)
- AgniFire (Sanskrit, boy)
- AishwaryaProsperity, power (Sanskrit, girl)
- AjayUnconquered, invincible (Sanskrit, boy)
- AkankshaWish, aspiration (Sanskrit, girl)
- AkashThe sky (Sanskrit, boy)
- AkshayIndestructible, imperishable (Sanskrit, boy)
- AlokLight, vision (Sanskrit, boy)
- AmarImmortal, undying (Sanskrit, boy)
Arya: common questions
What does the name Arya mean?
Arya comes from Sanskrit and means "noble, honorable".
Is Arya a boy or girl name?
Arya is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 1,858 girls and 54 boys in the US were named Arya, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Arya come from?
Arya comes from Sanskrit and means "noble, honorable". Today it is used in Indian and English.
How do you pronounce Arya?
Say AR-yah. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Arya?
Arya ranked #158 in the US in 2025, with 1,858 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Arya?
Forms of Arya with the same meaning and origin include Aryan (Indian).
What middle names go with Arya?
Middle names that flow well with Arya include Elizabeth, Elliott, Frederick, Noelle and Sawyer. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.