UK girl's name
Xaya
A unique feminine name with possible Hebrew roots, meaning "protected" or "sheltered".
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.
Xaya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Xaya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3318, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 7 births.
This profile covers 21 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2022 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 21 living people in the UK are called Xaya. 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
- • Xaya ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 7 girls were registered as Xaya.
- • About 21 living people in the UK are estimated to have Xaya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3318
2024
Births in 2024
7
Latest year
Peak year
2022
7 births
Estimated living
21
2026
Meaning
What does Xaya mean?
The name Xaya is believed to have its origins in ancient Sanskrit, one of the oldest languages in the world, dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE. It is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "kshaya," which means "destruction" or "decay." This could suggest that the name was initially associated with concepts of impermanence or the cyclical nature of existence.
In Hindu mythology, there are references to a character named Kshaya, who was said to be the personification of decay and the inevitable decline of all things. However, the name Xaya itself does not appear to have any direct mentions in ancient Hindu scriptures or texts.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Xaya can be traced back to the 6th century CE, where it was used by a few individuals in various parts of the Indian subcontinent. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Xaya Devi, a princess from the Chalukya dynasty, who lived in the present-day state of Karnataka, India, around the year 650 CE.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals with the name Xaya, although not many have left a significant mark on the historical record. In the 12th century, there was a scholar and poet named Xaya Mishra, who hailed from the city of Varanasi in northern India. His works, primarily focused on Hindu philosophy and theology, were widely studied and celebrated during his time.
Another figure of note was Xaya Bai, a 16th-century warrior and ruler from the Bundela clan in central India. She is known for her bravery and military prowess, leading her forces in several battles against the Mughal Empire and other rival kingdoms.
In the 19th century, there was a renowned Indian mathematician and astronomer named Xaya Chandra Vidyarnava, who made significant contributions to the field of astronomical calculations and the development of Hindu calendars.
Lastly, a more recent historical figure with the name Xaya was Xaya Devi Lakshminarayan Subbarao, a social reformer and educator from the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, who lived from 1888 to 1978. She was a pioneer in promoting women's education and advocating for the rights of the underprivileged in her region.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Xaya over time
The chart below shows babies named Xaya registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2022 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 Xaya, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Xaya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Xaya 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 | #3228 | 21 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Xaya
- Xanthe 1,238
- Xena 378
- Xenia 309
- Xin 285
- Xara 107
- Xyla 91
- Xia 51
- Xiao 45
- Xi 40
- Xinyi 28
- Xue 27
- Xylia 24
FAQ
Xaya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Xaya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Xaya was ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.
When was Xaya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 7 babies registered as Xaya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Xaya?
A unique feminine name with possible Hebrew roots, meaning "protected" or "sheltered".
How many people are called Xaya in the UK?
A total of 21 babies have been registered as Xaya 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.