Fun Facts About the Name Zoya
- More than 4 thousand babies named Zoya: U.S. records list 4,885 babies given the name Zoya from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Zoya Mean?
Zoya is a feminine name meaning "life." It comes from the Greek name Zōē (Ζωή), which is formed from the ordinary Greek word zōē, "life." The form Zoya is mainly the Russian and Slavic adaptation of that Greek name, written in Cyrillic as Зоя; the shift from Zōē to Zoya reflects the adaptation of the Greek ending to Slavic pronunciation, not a change in meaning. The parent name in the English-speaking world is usually spelled Zoe.
Zoya Name History & Origins
Zoya enters documented use through the ancient Greek name Zōē, which early Christians favored and which several early saints bore; Saint Zoe of Rome is remembered as a martyr of the third century. The name stayed current in the Greek-speaking Byzantine world, where the empress Zoë Porphyrogenita reigned in the eleventh century. As Greek saints' names were carried into the Christian calendars of the Slavic lands, Zōē was adapted into forms such as Russian and Ukrainian Зоя and Bulgarian Зоя, all rendered in Latin letters as Zoya. In the Russian Orthodox tradition the name has its own feast day and has been used continuously as a given name.
A well-known modern bearer is Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, a Soviet partisan killed in 1941 and posthumously named a Hero of the Soviet Union; she was the first woman to receive that title. Zoya is also a familiar given name in South Asia, used especially by Muslim families, where it is generally understood with the same "life" sense as the Greek original. The route by which the name reached South Asian naming is not firmly documented.
How Popular is the Name Zoya?
Zoya recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2022. Its best rank was #792 in 2022.
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 | #1,002 | 252 | 0.0157% |
| 2024 | #976 | 266 | 0.0165% |
| 2023 | #861 | 311 | 0.0194% |
| 2022 | #792 | 358 | 0.0218% |
| 2021 | #974 | 267 | 0.0163% |
| 2020 | #919 | 282 | 0.0175% |
| 2019 | #1,112 | 220 | 0.0131% |
| 2018 | #1,121 | 219 | 0.0129% |
| 2017 | #1,203 | 202 | 0.0117% |
| 2016 | #1,151 | 219 | 0.0124% |
| 2015 | #1,371 | 173 | 0.0097% |
| 2014 | #1,127 | 225 | 0.0126% |
| 2013 | #1,104 | 222 | 0.0127% |
| 2012 | #1,517 | 147 | 0.0083% |
| 2011 | #1,454 | 156 | 0.0089% |
| 2010 | #1,520 | 148 | 0.0083% |
| 2009 | #1,776 | 123 | 0.0067% |
| 2008 | #1,823 | 119 | 0.0063% |
| 2007 | #1,956 | 106 | 0.0055% |
| 2006 | #2,436 | 77 | 0.0041% |
| 2005 | #2,139 | 87 | 0.0047% |
| 2004 | #2,154 | 84 | 0.0046% |
| 2003 | #2,464 | 67 | 0.0037% |
| 2002 | #2,641 | 59 | 0.0033% |
| 2001 | #2,459 | 64 | 0.0036% |
| 2000 | #2,544 | 60 | 0.0033% |
| 1999 | #2,736 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 1998 | #3,352 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 1997 | #3,160 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 1996 | #2,313 | 58 | 0.0033% |
| 1995 | #2,734 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 1994 | #7,096 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #4,391 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1992 | #4,235 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1991 | #5,180 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1990 | #4,693 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1989 | #5,835 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #7,691 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1987 | #13,263 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #10,512 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #7,661 | 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 Zoya Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have aspiration and inspiration, hope and guidance. Since you are intuitive and perceptive and you understand human nature. You have the power to achieve. Diplomacy and discretion make you a good mediator. You are inspired, introspective, and have a good understanding of the human heart. You can have the ability to commercialize your artistic talents successfully. You are often a mystery to others and to yourself. You are always reaching for something higher, without exactly knowing what that "higher" is. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Zoya's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Zoya's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.