UK name, mostly girls
Daya
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "compassion" or "kindness".
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.
Daya is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Daya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #918, with 39 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 39 births.
This profile covers 526 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.
Daya is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 528 living people in the UK are called Daya. 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
- • Daya ranked #918 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 39 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 39 girls were registered as Daya.
- • Daya ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #680 in 2018.
- • About 528 living people in the UK are estimated to have Daya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 87.8% of Daya registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#918
2024
Births in 2024
39
Latest year
Peak year
2024
39 births
Estimated living
528
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Daya
In England and Wales birth records, Daya has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 12.2% of registrations are for boys and 87.8% 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.
Daya registered for boys
- Ranked #2,921 in 2024
- 7 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (8 births)
Daya registered for girls
- Ranked #918 in 2024
- 39 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (39 births)
Meaning
What does Daya mean?
The name Daya is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that has been in use for over 3,500 years. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "daya," meaning compassion, mercy, or kindness.
In Hinduism, daya is considered one of the highest virtues and is often associated with the divine qualities of love, forgiveness, and empathy. The concept of daya is deeply ingrained in various Hindu scriptures, such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads, which emphasize the importance of cultivating compassion towards all living beings.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Daya can be found in ancient Hindu texts, where it is mentioned as a feminine name. However, it is also used as a masculine name in some cultures.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Daya. One such person was Daya Shankar Naskar (1835-1916), a Bengali philosopher and social reformer who played a crucial role in promoting education and advocating for the rights of the underprivileged.
Another prominent figure was Daya Ram Sahni (1879-1939), an Indian archaeologist and numismatist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Indian history and culture. He was instrumental in discovering and documenting various archaeological sites across the Indian subcontinent.
In the realm of literature, Daya Nayar (1912-1984) was a renowned Malayalam writer and poet from Kerala, India. Her works explored themes of social injustice, feminism, and the struggles of the marginalized sections of society.
Daya Singh Kahai (1915-1989) was a celebrated Punjabi writer and poet who received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, for his literary contributions.
Lastly, Daya Krishna (1924-2007) was an influential Indian philosopher and scholar who made significant contributions to the field of existentialism and phenomenology. He was also a prolific writer and published numerous books and articles exploring various philosophical concepts.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Daya throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of the world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Daya over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Daya in England and Wales, from 1997 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 Daya, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 39 births in 2024, compared with 39 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Daya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Daya 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 | #1231 | 138 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1214 | 279 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2216 | 106 | 10 |
| 1990s | #3848 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Daya is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Daya. 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.
Daya ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #680 in 2018.
Across the UK
Daya in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#680 in 2018
1 years of NRS records, 4 total registered
Related
Names similar to Daya
- Daisy 49,435
- Danielle 13,507
- Darcie 11,010
- Darcy 10,516
- Darcey 9,708
- Delilah 9,098
- Demi 9,052
- Daniella 4,324
- Destiny 3,732
- Diana 3,258
- Dorothy 3,104
- Dolly 2,246
FAQ
Daya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Daya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Daya was ranked #918 for girls in England and Wales, with 39 births registered.
When was Daya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 39 babies registered as Daya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Daya?
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "compassion" or "kindness".
How many people are called Daya in the UK?
A total of 526 babies have been registered as Daya across the 26 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4 more in Scotland.
Where is Daya most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Daya ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #680 in 2018. 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.