Rising since 1989, #3,517 for girls today.
Popularity of Daya since 1964
Babies named Daya per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 |
| 1970s | 33 |
| 1980s | 36 |
| 1990s | 63 |
| 2000s | 218 |
| 2010s | 335 |
| 2020s | 237 |
Meaning & origin
Daya is a virtue name of Sanskrit origin, primarily meaning compassion or kindness. In U.S. records, the name first appeared in 1964 and has been rising in popularity since 1989, reaching its peak in 2018. Currently ranking 3517, it occurs in roughly 1 in 37,378 births. Daya has modern associations with the singer Daya, though its longest history is in South Asia. The name is most common in Florida and California, reflecting its popularity among Indian-American communities.
In Sanskrit, Daya (दया) means compassion, kindness, or pity, and is a common virtue name in India. In Hebrew, Daya is a variant of Dayah, meaning 'bird of prey' or 'kite,' though the Sanskrit origin is more widely recognized in English-speaking contexts. The name has also been used as a short form of names like Dayanara or Darlene.
Where Daya is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Daya” around the world
Where Daya lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
15
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Sibling names for Daya
Names that share Daya's style, for a brother or sister.
