UK name, mostly girls
Arya
A Sanskrit name meaning "noble", "precious" or "honorable".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Arya is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Arya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #184, with 265 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 427 births.
This profile covers 4,062 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 62% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 4,576 living people in the UK are called Arya. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Arya ranked #184 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 265 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 427 girls were registered as Arya.
- • Arya ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #212 in 2024.
- • About 4,576 living people in the UK are estimated to have Arya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 89.1% of Arya registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#184
2024
Births in 2024
265
Latest year
Peak year
2019
427 births
Estimated living
4,576
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Arya
In England and Wales birth records, Arya has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 10.9% of registrations are for boys and 89.1% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Arya registered for boys
- Ranked #1,132 in 2024
- 25 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (32 births)
Arya registered for girls
- Ranked #184 in 2024
- 265 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (427 births)
Meaning
What does Arya mean?
The name Arya originates from the Sanskrit language of ancient India, where it has its roots in the word 'arya' which means 'noble' or 'respectable'. The name can be traced back to the Vedic period, around 1500-500 BCE, and is associated with the Indo-Aryan people who migrated to the Indian subcontinent.
Arya is a prominent name in Hindu mythology and scriptures. In the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most revered Hindu texts, Arya is used as an epithet for the virtuous and noble. The name is also mentioned in the Upanishads, a collection of philosophical texts that form the theoretical basis for Hindu belief.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Arya is Aryabhata, a renowned Indian mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 5th century CE. He is credited with formulating the principles of algebra and advancing the study of astronomy and mathematics in ancient India.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Arya. Arya Chanakya, also known as Kautilya, was a renowned Indian teacher, philosopher, and royal advisor who lived in the 4th century BCE. He is widely regarded as the pioneer of political science and economics in ancient India and is the author of the Arthashastra, an influential treatise on statecraft and economic policy.
Arya Devi was a renowned Indian mystic and philosopher who lived in the 16th century CE. She was a prominent figure in the Bhakti movement and is revered for her spiritual teachings and devotional poetry.
Arya Samaj, founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in the late 19th century, is a Hindu reform movement that promotes the principles of the Vedas and rejects idolatry and caste distinctions. The movement played a significant role in the Indian independence struggle and continues to have a large following in India and abroad.
Arya Stark is a fictional character from the popular fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin. She is depicted as a strong-willed, brave, and skilled young woman who plays a pivotal role in the series' narrative.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Arya over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Arya in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Arya, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 265 births in 2024, compared with 427 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Arya was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #165 | 1,548 | 5 |
| 2010s | #321 | 2,341 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1951 | 170 | 10 |
| 1990s | #3824 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Arya is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Arya. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Arya ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #212 in 2024.
Across the UK
Arya in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#230 in 2024
15 years of NRS records, 422 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#212 in 2024
13 years of NISRA records, 112 total registered
Related
Names similar to Arya
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Arya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Arya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Arya was ranked #184 for girls in England and Wales, with 265 births registered.
When was Arya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 427 babies registered as Arya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Arya?
A Sanskrit name meaning "noble", "precious" or "honorable".
How many people are called Arya in the UK?
A total of 4,062 babies have been registered as Arya across the 26 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 422 more in Scotland and 112 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Arya most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Arya ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #212 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.