Arya
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Arya
Arya was derived from an Indo-Iranian word meaning "Aryan" or "noble." It is a masculine given name in Iran, Indonesia, Bali, and Sanskrit-speaking regions of India. In Hindu- and English-speaking parts of the world, Arya is more often a feminine name, the latter influenced by the similar Italian name Aria, meaning "air" or "song."
Arya for girls#158 US
The prime impetus of Arya's rise is the fiercely independent young character Arya Stark in the TV series Game of Thrones, based on the George R. R. Martin books A Song of Fire and Ice. Another influence is the Elven princess in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle trilogy, basis of the movie Eragon.
The name resembles the musical Aria and the male Aryan, both also growing in popularity in the US. Arya entered the popularity charts in 2010.
Arya for boys#2483 US
A venerable boys' name in Persian and South Asian cultures that is increasingly used for girls in most parts of the world, thanks largely to the popularity of Game of Thrones character Arya Stark. In the U.S., for instance, there were 1890 newborn girls named Arya in 2016 and just 54 boys in 2016. The related Aryan remains mostly male, however, so it would likely be a better choice for a little boy, if you don't mind the other meaning.
Pronounced AHR-yuh.
As of October 2026, Arya ranked #158 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #92 in 2019, Nameberry popularity #437.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #216 | 1,556 | #1,813 | 82 |
| 2015 | #200 | 1,644 | #1,717 | 90 |
| 2016 | #169 | 1,898 | #2,387 | 54 |
| 2017 | #135 | 2,168 | #2,678 | 46 |
| 2018 | #119 | 2,556 | #2,582 | 49 |
| 2019 | #92 | 3,050 | #2,628 | 49 |
| 2020 | #113 | 2,372 | #2,762 | 44 |
| 2021 | #120 | 2,330 | #2,655 | 48 |
| 2022 | #122 | 2,343 | #2,242 | 64 |
| 2023 | #139 | 2,012 | #2,415 | 56 |
| 2024 | #162 | 1,863 | #2,388 | 58 |
| 2025 | #158 | 1,858 | #2,483 | 54 |
World rankings
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Arya on lists
Famous Aryas
- Arya Jones (b. 2013)Girl
daughter of American,New Zealand basketballer Marcel Jones
Arya in pop culture
- Arya StarkGirl
character in George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" and "Game of Thrones" series
- Arya DrottninguGirl
Elven princess in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle
- Game of Thrones pronunciation: "AREGirl
yuh." Author George R.R. Martin himself has pointed out that a surprisingly large number of people pronounce it incorrectly: it consists of two syllables, not three. Martin explained: "I say it 'Are,ya,' two syllables not three. Not 'are,ee,uh,' not like an operatic thing [aria], but 'Are,ya,' very sharp. I wanted something that was like a knife, that was a sharp and hard sound, to be a contrast to the flowery 'Sansa.'"