NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Vaya

A name of Spanish origin representing an exclamation or expression of encouragement.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Vaya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Vaya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4634, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 4 births.

This profile covers 10 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2013 to 2021. 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.

Vaya is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 10 living people in the UK are called Vaya. 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 2022 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Vaya ranked #4634 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 4 girls were registered as Vaya.
  • About 10 living people in the UK are estimated to have Vaya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4634

2021

Births in 2021

4

Latest year

Peak year

2021

4 births

Estimated living

10

2026

Meaning

What does Vaya mean?

The name Vaya originates from the Sanskrit language, which was the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism in ancient India. The word "Vaya" in Sanskrit means "wind" or "air," signifying the life-giving and dynamic nature of this element.

In the ancient Vedic scriptures of Hinduism, Vaya is mentioned as one of the deities associated with the wind. It is believed that this name was given to children in the hope that they would possess the qualities of strength, swiftness, and freedom, much like the wind itself.

The earliest recorded use of the name Vaya can be traced back to the 5th century BCE, during the Gupta Empire in India. One of the most notable historical figures bearing this name was Vaya Bhatta, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and grammarian who lived in the 7th century CE. His works on Sanskrit grammar and linguistics were highly influential and are still studied today.

Another significant figure with the name Vaya was Vaya Shastri, a 16th-century Hindu philosopher and mathematician from the Vijayanagar Empire in southern India. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and is credited with developing new methods for calculating planetary positions.

In the 8th century CE, there was a Buddhist monk named Vaya Sena who traveled extensively throughout Asia, spreading the teachings of Buddhism. His writings and teachings had a profound impact on the Buddhist tradition in various regions, including China and Tibet.

During the Mughal Empire in India, which ruled from the 16th to the 19th century, there was a prominent poet and writer named Vaya Khan. His poetic works, written in Persian and Urdu, were widely acclaimed and celebrated during his time.

In more recent history, there was a renowned Indian artist and sculptor named Vaya Rao, who lived from 1892 to 1975. His sculptures and works of art, often depicting Hindu deities and mythological figures, were highly influential in the Indian art scene of the 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Vaya over time

The chart below shows babies named Vaya registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2013 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Vaya, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2021, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Vaya
01234201320172021

Decades

Vaya by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Vaya 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 #4634 4 1
2010s #5704 6 2

Related

Names similar to Vaya

FAQ

Vaya: questions and answers

How popular is the name Vaya in the UK right now?

In 2021, Vaya was ranked #4634 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Vaya most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 4 babies registered as Vaya in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Vaya?

A name of Spanish origin representing an exclamation or expression of encouragement.

How many people are called Vaya in the UK?

A total of 10 babies have been registered as Vaya across the 3 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.