UK name, mostly girls
Kiya
A feminine Arabic name meaning "successful and influential".
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.
Kiya is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Kiya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 42 births.
This profile covers 609 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 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.
The latest count is about 10% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 613 living people in the UK are called Kiya. 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
- • Kiya ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 42 girls were registered as Kiya.
- • Kiya ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #793 in 2008.
- • About 613 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kiya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 95.2% of Kiya registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4843
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2008
42 births
Estimated living
613
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Kiya
In England and Wales birth records, Kiya has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 4.8% of registrations are for boys and 95.2% 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.
Kiya registered for boys
- Ranked #2,870 in 2006
- 5 boys registered in 2006
- Peak: 2001 (7 births)
Kiya registered for girls
- Ranked #4,843 in 2024
- 4 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2008 (42 births)
Meaning
What does Kiya mean?
The name Kiya has its origins in various cultures and languages across the world. It is believed to have derived from the Hebrew name Kiah, which means "from the Lord" or "God's vision". This name was mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible as one of the sons of Agur.
In Japanese culture, Kiya is a feminine name with the meaning "pure" or "radiant". It is a variation of the name Kiyoko, which is composed of the word "kiyo" meaning "pure" and "ko" meaning "child". This name has been in use in Japan for centuries and is often associated with the idea of purity and innocence.
The name Kiya is also found in Indian cultures, particularly among the Hindu community. Here, it is derived from the Sanskrit word "Kiya", which means "the flower bud". This name is often given to girls with the hope that they will blossom and flourish like a beautiful flower.
In ancient Egypt, the name Kiya was borne by one of the wives of Pharaoh Akhenaten during the 18th Dynasty (around 1350 BCE). She was known as Kiya the Younger and was believed to be the mother of one of Akhenaten's sons.
Another notable figure with the name Kiya was Kiya Sokollu (1506-1588), who was a prominent Ottoman statesman and Grand Vizier during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. He is remembered for his military campaigns and his contributions to the administrative reforms of the Ottoman Empire.
In the 19th century, Kiya Buzurg Umīd (1815-1899) was a renowned Persian poet and philosopher. He was known for his mystical and spiritual writings, which explored the themes of love, devotion, and the human condition.
The name Kiya was also borne by Kiya Amirzadeh (1859-1909), an Iranian feminist and activist who fought for women's rights and education in Persia (now Iran). She is regarded as a pioneer in the Iranian women's movement.
Another notable figure with the name Kiya was Kiya Tabassian (1976-), a Canadian composer and musician of Iranian descent. He is known for his contributions to the fusion of Persian and Western classical music traditions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kiya over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Kiya 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 Kiya, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 42 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kiya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kiya 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 | #3067 | 43 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1915 | 169 | 10 |
| 2000s | #865 | 328 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1156 | 69 | 4 |
Geography
Where Kiya is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kiya. 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.
Kiya ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #793 in 2008.
Across the UK
Kiya in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#793 in 2008
2 years of NRS records, 7 total registered
Related
Names similar to Kiya
- 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
Kiya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kiya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Kiya was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Kiya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 42 babies registered as Kiya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kiya?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "successful and influential".
How many people are called Kiya in the UK?
A total of 609 babies have been registered as Kiya across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 7 more in Scotland.
Where is Kiya most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kiya ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #793 in 2008. 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.