Arya
Arya was the 158th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,858 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 92nd with 3,051 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 42 places. More babies were named Arya in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning noble (Sanskrit) · Sanskrit, Persian
Say it AR-ee-uh /ˈɑriə/
- Rank in 2025
- #158 girls, down 45 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,858girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20193,051 babies
- Total since 1880
- 31,871babies recorded
What does the name Arya mean?
Arya comes from Sanskrit arya, 'noble, honorable'; Wiktionary gives the masculine arya and feminine arya as given names in India. Wikipedia explains that the word was originally a self-name used by ancient Indo-Iranian peoples for those seen as civilized or respected, and that the same root gave the name Iran. Wikipedia lists the spellings Aarya, Aariya and Ariya, and in English-speaking countries it is also sometimes treated as a spelling of Aria.
आर्य (Sanskrit, “ārya, noble, honorable”)आर्या (Sanskrit, “āryā, feminine form”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Aria, Aarya, Ariya.
See also: Sanskrit and Indian names, names that mean noble.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Arya', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Arya (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Arya popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 2,335 since 1982, 54 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #158 | 1,858 |
| 2020 | #113 | 2,374 |
| 2010 | #942 | 273 |
| 2000 | #3,743 | 34 |
| 1990 | #11,523 | 6 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Arya, counting every spelling?
Arya is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #156 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #158 for Arya on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,189 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arya | 1,858 | #158 | 10,412 |
| Aarya | 178 | #1,258 | 1,090 |
| Aryah | 117 | #1,735 | 677 |
| Aryya | 15 | #7,180 | 56 |
| Aaryah | 7 | #11,941 | 45 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Arya?
1,858 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Arya (0.52 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Arya born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Arya.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Arya?
About 29,300 people born in the US named Arya are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 4 and 10. That makes Arya a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Arya by state
How common Arya was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (3.0×), New Mexico (2.4×), Alaska (2.0×), Delaware (1.9×), South Dakota (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Idaho, North Dakota, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Arya: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Arya, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Arya · Sibling names for Arya
Questions about the name Arya
What does Arya mean?
Arya means “noble (Sanskrit)” (Sanskrit, Persian origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Arya?
Arya was the 158th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,858 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 92nd with 3,051 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 42 places. More babies were named Arya in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Arya a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Arya in the US.
Where is Arya most popular?
In 2021–2025, Arya was most common in Hawaii (3.84 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Mexico and Alaska.