Kaya
Kaya is a given name most commonly found in Turkey and Japan.
Meaning & Origin of Kaya
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kaya is a given name most commonly found in Turkey and Japan.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kaya
As a girl name
Kaya first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1968, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2004, when 528 Kayas were born — ranking #541 that year. As of 2026, Kaya ranks #964 for girls with 269 births, holding steady (+1%). In total, more than 11K Kayas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Kaya first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1975, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2001, when 56 Kayas were born — ranking #1,935 that year. As of 2026, Kaya ranks #4,921 for boys with 20 births, rising sharply (+25% over the past five years). In total, more than 686 Kayas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kaya
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kaya is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kaya
What does the name Kaya mean?
How popular is Kaya in 2026?
When was Kaya most popular?
In which U.S. states is Kaya most popular?
Is Kaya a unisex name?
What names go well with Kaya?
About the name Kaya
Kaya is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1968 and has accumulated 11K births in the dataset. Kaya's peak popularity came in 2004 when it ranked #539. Use the chart and map above to compare Kaya's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2004 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.