girl's name
Arya
AR-ee-a
- Origin Sanskrit
- Gender Girl
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 47,015
the United States
#159
2025 births
Arya is a name of Sanskrit origin meaning "noble." It is an ancient Indo-Iranian word that a people used to describe themselves, and its modern Western use comes almost entirely from Game of Thrones.
- Arya is a name of Sanskrit origin.
- Peaked in 2019, when 3,100 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,734 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1982.
Arya over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1980s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 150 |
| 1990s | 362 |
| 2000s | 2,093 |
| 2010s | 16,156 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 13,110 |
What Arya means
Arya means noble, honorable or one of high standing. In its original use it was how a people described themselves rather than a compliment paid to an individual.
Where Arya comes from
Arya comes from the Sanskrit ārya, noble, a term the Vedic peoples used of themselves and which also underlies the name Iran, from Aryānām, land of the noble. The word was catastrophically misappropriated by nineteenth and twentieth-century European race theory, which is worth stating plainly: that misuse has no connection to the word's actual meaning or to the millions of South Asians and Iranians who have always used it as a name. Arya has been a normal given name in India and Iran throughout. George R. R. Martin's Arya Stark, on screen from 2011, is why it is now used in the West.
Arya in use
Our data shows Arya peaking in 2019 and still rising, and it first appears in our records in 1982 — long before the television series, reflecting South Asian and Iranian families rather than any Western fashion. It should not be confused with Ayra, a separate Arabic name we also hold.
How popular is Arya?
In 2025, Arya was given to 1,912 babies in the United States, ranking #159 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Arya is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Arya
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Arya also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Arya over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Arya
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Arya in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Aria
Sibling names for Arya
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Arya — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Arya
What does the name Arya mean?
Arya means "noble," from the Sanskrit ārya.
Is Arya related to Iran?
Yes — Iran derives from Aryānām, land of the noble, from the same root.
Is Arya from Game of Thrones?
Western use largely is, but the name is ancient and appears in our records from 1982, decades before the series.
How popular is the name Arya?
In 2025, Arya was given to 1,912 babies in the United States, ranking #159 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Arya a girl's or a boy's name?
Arya is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
When was Arya most popular?
Arya peaked in 2019, when 3,100 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Arya?
Arya is usually shortened to Ari.
Is Arya a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Arya currently ranks #61 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.