UK girl's name
Kamaya
A feminine name of African origin meaning "the light shines".
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.
Kamaya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Kamaya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 7 births.
This profile covers 30 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 2008 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 71% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 30 living people in the UK are called Kamaya. 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
- • Kamaya ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 7 girls were registered as Kamaya.
- • About 30 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kamaya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4192
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2019
7 births
Estimated living
30
2026
Meaning
What does Kamaya mean?
The name Kamaya is believed to have its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that originated in South Asia. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "kama," which means desire or love, and "ya," which is a suffix denoting a feminine name. Consequently, the name Kamaya can be interpreted as "she who is desired" or "the desirable one."
While the exact time period when the name first emerged is uncertain, it is thought to have been in use during the Vedic period, which spanned from around 1500 BCE to 600 BCE. This era was marked by the composition of the Vedas, which are the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism and are considered the foundation of Indian philosophy and culture.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kamaya can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic poem that is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. In the Mahabharata, Kamaya is mentioned as the name of a beautiful and desirable woman.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kamaya. One of the earliest recorded figures was Kamaya, a Sanskrit poet and scholar who lived in the 7th century CE during the reign of the Pallava dynasty in South India. She was renowned for her poetic works and her contributions to the field of literature.
Another prominent figure was Kamaya Devi, a Indian princess who lived in the 14th century CE during the Delhi Sultanate period. She was known for her beauty, intelligence, and patronage of the arts and literature.
In the 16th century, Kamaya Bhatt was a celebrated Indian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and astronomy. She is particularly known for her work on the calculation of planetary positions and the development of mathematical techniques.
Kamaya Devi Chaudhry was an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She played an active role in the Indian independence movement and worked tirelessly to promote women's education and empowerment.
More recently, Kamaya Jayanti was a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer who lived from 1917 to 2010. She was a pioneering figure in the revival and promotion of the Odissi dance form and was awarded numerous honors and accolades for her contributions to the field of dance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kamaya over time
The chart below shows babies named Kamaya registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 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 Kamaya, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kamaya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kamaya 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 | #4290 | 14 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4857 | 13 | 3 |
| 2000s | #5545 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Kamaya
- 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
Kamaya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kamaya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Kamaya was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Kamaya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 7 babies registered as Kamaya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kamaya?
A feminine name of African origin meaning "the light shines".
How many people are called Kamaya in the UK?
A total of 30 babies have been registered as Kamaya across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.