Rising since 1989, #3,975 for girls today.
Popularity of Enya since 1989
Babies named Enya per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 190 |
| 2000s | 511 |
| 2010s | 351 |
| 2020s | 217 |
Meaning & origin
Enya first entered U.S. baby name records in 1989, the same year the Irish singer Enya released her breakthrough album 'Watermark.' The name quickly rose in popularity, reaching its peak rank of 1,583 in 2002, when approximately 1 in 21,000 girls were named Enya. Since then, it has declined but remains in use, with 2025 seeing a rank of 3,975 (about 1 in 44,646). Its trajectory has been rising overall since its first recording, suggesting a resurgence in interest. The name is most popular in California, where many modern and artistic names find favor. Like other Irish respellings, Enya offers a distinctive yet accessible sound, rooted in the ancient name Eithne but shaped by contemporary celebrity influence.
Enya is widely considered a respelling or anglicization of the Irish name Eithne (pronounced EN-yuh). Eithne itself is of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from a word for 'kernel' or 'grain.' The name gained international fame through Irish singer Enya (born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin in 1961), whose stage name was an anglicization of her given name. Though Eithne has ancient roots in Irish mythology, Enya as a spelling is a modern adaptation and has seen use primarily in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Where Enya is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Enya” around the world
Where Enya lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Ireland
13
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: En
Sibling names for Enya
Names that share Enya's style, for a brother or sister.
