UK girl's name
Tanaya
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "the small one".
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.
Tanaya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Tanaya 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 2007, with 14 births.
This profile covers 199 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 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 29% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 198 living people in the UK are called Tanaya. 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
- • Tanaya ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 14 girls were registered as Tanaya.
- • About 198 living people in the UK are estimated to have Tanaya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4843
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2007
14 births
Estimated living
198
2026
Meaning
What does Tanaya mean?
The name Tanaya is derived from Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Its roots can be traced back to the Vedic period, which spanned from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE. Tanaya is a combination of two Sanskrit words: "tanu," meaning body or self, and "aya," meaning to go or move.
In Hindu mythology, Tanaya is mentioned as an epithet or synonym for the Hindu deities Kartikeya and Ganesha, both sons of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. This association suggests that the name may have been used to refer to a son or a child.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tanaya can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic composed between the 8th and 9th centuries BCE. In the epic, Tanaya was the name of a character, a prince from the Kuru dynasty.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Tanaya. One such person was Tanaya Kalita, a 16th-century Assamese poet and literary figure from the Ahom Kingdom in present-day Assam, India. Another prominent figure was Tanaya Mishra, a 10th-century Indian mathematician and astronomer from the Kalinga region (modern-day Odisha).
In more recent times, Tanaya Winder, an American poet, and educator of Dine (Navajo), Hunkpapa Lakota, and European descent, has gained recognition for her work exploring indigenous identity and issues. Tanaya Bhardwaj, an Indian actress and model, has also become known for her performances in Bollywood films and television series.
Additionally, Tanaya Patil, an Indian-American author and activist, has made significant contributions to the field of disability rights advocacy, drawing attention to the experiences of individuals with disabilities through her writing and public speaking engagements.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Tanaya over time
The chart below shows babies named Tanaya registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, 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 Tanaya, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 14 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tanaya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Tanaya 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 | #4334 | 20 | 4 |
| 2010s | #3462 | 76 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2578 | 82 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2788 | 21 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Tanaya
- Tia 15,569
- Thea 12,888
- Tilly 11,524
- Taylor 7,401
- Tegan 6,583
- Tabitha 6,462
- Talia 5,198
- Tara 5,114
- Tiffany 4,653
- Tallulah 4,442
- Tiana 3,570
- Tamara 3,405
FAQ
Tanaya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Tanaya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Tanaya was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Tanaya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 14 babies registered as Tanaya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Tanaya?
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "the small one".
How many people are called Tanaya in the UK?
A total of 199 babies have been registered as Tanaya across the 28 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.