Girl nameCurrently #169 in the USSteady
Amaya
uh-MY-uh//əˈmaɪə//
3 syllablesPeak year: 20185 lettersStarts with A
Meaning & origin
Night rain (Japanese); also a Basque place-name
Amaya has separate roots in different traditions: in Japanese it can be composed of characters meaning 'night rain', while it is also a historic Basque town name and surname. Its cross-cultural sound has made it a growing modern favorite in English-speaking countries.
Amaya's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Amaya |
|---|---|
| 1972 | 5 |
| 1975 | 5 |
| 1976 | 6 |
| 1977 | 6 |
| 1978 | 9 |
| 1979 | 9 |
| 1980 | 5 |
| 1981 | 8 |
| 1982 | 15 |
| 1983 | 12 |
| 1984 | 8 |
| 1985 | 11 |
| 1986 | 12 |
| 1987 | 11 |
| 1988 | 10 |
| 1989 | 12 |
| 1990 | 11 |
| 1991 | 13 |
| 1992 | 16 |
| 1993 | 26 |
| 1994 | 30 |
| 1995 | 36 |
| 1996 | 61 |
| 1997 | 92 |
| 1998 | 117 |
| 1999 | 704 |
| 2000 | 1,632 |
| 2001 | 1,056 |
| 2002 | 1,099 |
| 2003 | 1,769 |
| 2004 | 1,626 |
| 2005 | 1,513 |
| 2006 | 1,594 |
| 2007 | 1,699 |
| 2008 | 1,679 |
| 2009 | 1,598 |
| 2010 | 1,395 |
| 2011 | 1,485 |
| 2012 | 1,477 |
| 2013 | 1,373 |
| 2014 | 1,367 |
| 2015 | 1,533 |
| 2016 | 1,589 |
| 2017 | 1,723 |
| 2018 | 2,277 |
| 2019 | 2,061 |
| 2020 | 1,939 |
| 2021 | 1,780 |
| 2022 | 1,723 |
| 2023 | 1,758 |
| 2024 | 1,809 |
Amaya through the decades
- Amaya peaked in 2018, when 2,277 babies were named Amaya in the US.
- The 2020s were Amaya's strongest decade, averaging 1,802 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Amaya has risen 20% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Amaya currently ranks #169 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Maya
Variants & spellings
Amaia