UK name, mostly girls
Kaiya
A feminine given name of uncertain origin meaning "keeper of the keys".
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.
Kaiya is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Kaiya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1007, with 35 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 61 births.
This profile covers 795 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 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 57% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 862 living people in the UK are called Kaiya. 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
- • Kaiya ranked #1007 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 35 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 61 girls were registered as Kaiya.
- • Kaiya ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #432 in 2017.
- • About 862 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kaiya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 96.1% of Kaiya registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1007
2024
Births in 2024
35
Latest year
Peak year
2010
61 births
Estimated living
862
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Kaiya
In England and Wales birth records, Kaiya has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 3.9% of registrations are for boys and 96.1% 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.
Kaiya registered for boys
- Ranked #3,937 in 2019
- 4 boys registered in 2019
- Peak: 2003 (6 births)
Kaiya registered for girls
- Ranked #1,007 in 2024
- 35 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2010 (61 births)
Meaning
What does Kaiya mean?
The name Kaiya is a relatively modern name with roots tracing back to various languages and cultures. Its origins can be traced to the Japanese language, where it is a feminine name derived from the combination of the words "kai" (meaning "ocean" or "sea") and "ya" (meaning "arrow" or "swift"). This suggests that the name Kaiya may have been inspired by the imagery of a swift ocean current or a swiftly moving body of water.
Another potential origin of the name Kaiya is the Sanskrit language, where it is believed to be a variation of the name "Kaya," which means "body" or "physical form." This Sanskrit connection could indicate that the name Kaiya was originally intended to represent physical beauty or strength.
In some Native American cultures, the name Kaiya is thought to be derived from the Navajo word "K'ai," which means "willow tree." This association with nature and the willow tree could suggest that the name Kaiya was initially used to represent qualities such as flexibility, resilience, and grace.
While the name Kaiya does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that its roots in languages like Japanese and Sanskrit may have been influenced by cultural or spiritual beliefs associated with those languages.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Kaiya can be found in the late 20th century, when it began to gain popularity as a given name for babies. Some notable individuals who have carried the name Kaiya throughout history include:
1. Kaiya Patel (born 1992), an Indian-American actress and model. 2. Kaiya Stone (born 1991), an American professional wrestler. 3. Kaiya Wynn (born 2000), an American singer and songwriter. 4. Kaiya Armstrong (born 1998), a Canadian actress and model. 5. Kaiya Jones (born 1995), an American professional basketball player.
While the name Kaiya is relatively new and may not have a long historical record, its various linguistic origins and associations with nature, strength, and beauty have contributed to its growing popularity as a given name in recent decades.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kaiya over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Kaiya 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 Kaiya, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 35 births in 2024, compared with 61 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaiya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kaiya 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 | #1145 | 150 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1113 | 343 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1055 | 266 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1468 | 36 | 3 |
Geography
Where Kaiya is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kaiya. 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.
Kaiya ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #432 in 2017.
Across the UK
Kaiya in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#760 in 2022
19 years of NRS records, 64 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#432 in 2017
2 years of NISRA records, 7 total registered
Related
Names similar to Kaiya
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Kaiya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kaiya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Kaiya was ranked #1007 for girls in England and Wales, with 35 births registered.
When was Kaiya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 61 babies registered as Kaiya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kaiya?
A feminine given name of uncertain origin meaning "keeper of the keys".
How many people are called Kaiya in the UK?
A total of 795 babies have been registered as Kaiya across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 64 more in Scotland and 7 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Kaiya most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kaiya ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #432 in 2017. 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.