Fun Facts About the Name Kaya
- More than 10 thousand babies named Kaya: U.S. records list 10,974 babies given the name Kaya from 1880 through 2025. Even 662 boys received the name Kaya - about 1 boy for every 16 girls.
What Does the Name Kaya Mean?
Kaya does not come from one single root. It belongs to several unrelated languages, so its meaning depends on which tradition is meant.
In Turkish, kaya is an ordinary noun meaning "rock" or "cliff," and the word serves as both a surname and a given name. The Japanese kaya (榧) names the torreya tree, a slow-growing evergreen conifer, and the same sound can also refer to thatch grass (茅); it is used as a given name, mainly for girls. In the Hopi language, the name is commonly explained as "elder sister," a kinship term. These are separate origins, not branches of one another.
A European line is also sometimes given: Kaya treated as a variant of Kaja or Kaia, short forms tied to names such as Katharina. Where that is the intended source, the meaning follows the parent name rather than any Turkish, Japanese, or Hopi sense.
Kaya Name History & Origins
Kaya has a long life in Turkey as a family name and a personal name, used more often for boys. It comes straight from the Turkish noun for a rock or crag, and nature words of this kind are common sources of Turkish names.
In Japan, kaya (榧) refers to the torreya tree, valued for its fine wood, which is used for go boards and other crafts. As a given name it draws on that tree and on the homophone meaning thatch grass, giving it a natural, rural association rather than a religious one.
Among the Hopi people of the American Southwest, Kaya is reported as a word for "elder sister" that has been used as a name. This usage is separate from the Turkish and Japanese words, since Hopi is an unrelated language.
In Scandinavia and German-speaking Europe, Kaya appears as a spelling of Kaja or Kaia, short forms associated with Katharina. The spelling Kaya is also found in South Africa, where it is sometimes linked to the Zulu word khaya, meaning "home," though that connection is not firmly established. Modern use of the name in English-speaking countries draws on more than one of these traditions at once.
How Popular is the Name Kaya?
Kaya recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2004. Its best rank was #540 in 2003.
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 | #1,133 | 206 | 0.0128% |
| 2024 | #966 | 268 | 0.0166% |
| 2023 | #1,024 | 247 | 0.0154% |
| 2022 | #1,019 | 254 | 0.0155% |
| 2021 | #1,007 | 254 | 0.0155% |
| 2020 | #1,055 | 236 | 0.0146% |
| 2019 | #973 | 268 | 0.0160% |
| 2018 | #1,024 | 253 | 0.0149% |
| 2017 | #937 | 282 | 0.0163% |
| 2016 | #962 | 282 | 0.0159% |
| 2015 | #860 | 326 | 0.0183% |
| 2014 | #1,000 | 264 | 0.0148% |
| 2013 | #761 | 357 | 0.0203% |
| 2012 | #810 | 331 | 0.0188% |
| 2011 | #723 | 383 | 0.0218% |
| 2010 | #767 | 357 | 0.0201% |
| 2009 | #685 | 426 | 0.0232% |
| 2008 | #641 | 480 | 0.0254% |
| 2007 | #684 | 428 | 0.0223% |
| 2006 | #645 | 447 | 0.0235% |
| 2005 | #642 | 435 | 0.0235% |
| 2004 | #541 | 528 | 0.0288% |
| 2003 | #540 | 519 | 0.0284% |
| 2002 | #550 | 499 | 0.0278% |
| 2001 | #613 | 410 | 0.0228% |
| 2000 | #758 | 301 | 0.0166% |
| 1999 | #1,054 | 192 | 0.0108% |
| 1998 | #1,164 | 162 | 0.0092% |
| 1997 | #1,310 | 133 | 0.0076% |
| 1996 | #1,456 | 113 | 0.0064% |
| 1995 | #1,769 | 82 | 0.0047% |
| 1994 | #1,986 | 71 | 0.0040% |
| 1993 | #1,973 | 71 | 0.0039% |
| 1992 | #2,258 | 59 | 0.0032% |
| 1991 | #2,370 | 54 | 0.0029% |
| 1990 | #2,980 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 1989 | #3,435 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1988 | #3,343 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1987 | #3,678 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1986 | #4,841 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1985 | #4,205 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1984 | #4,068 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1983 | #4,995 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1982 | #4,806 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1981 | #4,239 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1980 | #8,567 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #4,941 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1978 | #3,328 | 23 | 0.0015% |
| 1977 | #7,919 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #5,783 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1975 | #4,988 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1974 | #5,979 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1972 | #8,853 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #6,928 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #7,478 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1969 | #7,011 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #6,589 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,001 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #5,323 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2023 | #5,352 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2022 | #6,321 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2021 | #7,871 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #6,466 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2019 | #5,962 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2018 | #5,209 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2017 | #5,941 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #7,880 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #5,876 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2014 | #5,596 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #4,540 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2012 | #5,144 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2011 | #5,092 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #4,603 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #5,433 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #3,529 | 31 | 0.0015% |
| 2007 | #5,115 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2006 | #3,566 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 2005 | #4,270 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2004 | #3,047 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2003 | #4,524 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #2,235 | 47 | 0.0024% |
| 2001 | #1,945 | 56 | 0.0029% |
| 2000 | #5,189 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #4,656 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1998 | #4,528 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #4,574 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #5,774 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #4,661 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1994 | #6,691 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #7,214 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #5,887 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #4,671 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #7,911 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #7,573 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #6,025 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #5,906 | 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.
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How the Name Kaya Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Kaya's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kaya's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.