Declining since 2002, #2,751 for girls today.
Popularity of Nya since 1970
Babies named Nya per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 58 |
| 1980s | 113 |
| 1990s | 658 |
| 2000s | 3,029 |
| 2010s | 1,581 |
| 2020s | 567 |
Meaning & origin
Nya entered U.S. naming records in 1970 and reached its peak popularity in 2001, ranking 2,751 in 2025 with about 1 in 25,924 girls receiving the name that year. Its trajectory has been falling since 2002, but it remains more common in states like Pennsylvania, California, and Texas. Modern coinages such as Nya often draw from familiar sounds and fashionable suffixes, making them a contemporary alternative to longer classics.
Nya emerged as a given name in the late 20th century, often considered a modern coinage or a respelling of names such as Nya (possibly from the Irish Niamh, meaning 'bright') or Nia (a Welsh form of Niamh or a Swahili name meaning 'purpose'). The name gained visibility through the character Nya in the animated series 'Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu' (first aired 2011), though its use predates the show. Its popularity peaked in 2001 but has since declined.
Where Nya is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Nya” around the world
Where Nya lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Nya
Names that share Nya's style, for a brother or sister.
