Fun Facts About the Name Iya
- 412 babies named Iya: U.S. records list 412 babies given the name Iya from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Iya Mean?
Iya has more than one independent origin. In Yoruba, a language of southwestern Nigeria and parts of neighboring Benin and Togo, ìyá means "mother." The word is used inside Yoruba personal names and in titles for women, such as the chieftaincy title Ìyálóde, and it is the base of names such as Iyanla ("great mother"). Used as a name, Iya carries the sense "mother."
Separately, Ия, transliterated Iya, is an established woman's given name in Russian. Its own derivation is uncertain, and it is not related to the Yoruba word. Because the Yoruba and Russian names arose independently, "Iya" does not have one single meaning across all its uses.
Iya Name History & Origins
The Yoruba word ìyá is ordinary vocabulary rather than a name coined for one person. Yoruba personal names are commonly built from meaningful words and short phrases, so ìyá also appears inside given names, and it forms part of titles held by senior women. That usage is the source of the "mother" sense of Iya.
In Russia, Ия developed as a woman's given name apart from the Yoruba word. Its route into use is not well documented, and there is no reliable connection between the two names; they coincide only when written in Latin letters. In modern Russia the name is used as a given name, and the actress Iya Savvina is one bearer.
How Popular is the Name Iya?
Iya has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2015. Its best rank was #5,728 in 2015.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,639 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #6,232 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 2023 | #5,825 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 2022 | #6,311 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 2021 | #7,067 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2020 | #6,744 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 2019 | #6,273 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2018 | #6,916 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2017 | #7,221 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2016 | #7,029 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2015 | #5,728 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2014 | #7,114 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2013 | #9,244 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2012 | #12,668 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #10,679 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #9,450 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2009 | #10,978 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #9,708 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2007 | #8,710 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2006 | #10,176 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #9,102 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #7,208 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2003 | #6,707 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #8,489 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #8,403 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #7,745 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #15,318 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #9,580 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #11,011 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #13,989 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Iya
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with I
Short Girl Names That Start with I
How the Name Iya Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You like to use the pen or the needle (writing, fashion design etc). You are loving, compassionate, intuitive and humanitarian. Runs of luck, either good or bad, follow you. You are sympathetic, but at times might be touchy and oversensitive. You may have a gift for writing. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Iya's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Iya's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.