Arya
GenderUnisex
Origin
Word/nameSanskrit, Old Iranian
Meaning"noble one/noble person"[1][2]
Other names
See alsoAria, Aryan, Ariana

Arya, also spelled Aarya, Aariya or Ariya (Sanskrit: आर्य/आर्या ārya/āryā; Old Persian: 𐎠𐎼𐎡𐎹 Persian: آریا ariya) or as Aryo or Ario, is an Indo-Iranian name. The Sanskrit word Arya is a surname and a masculine (आर्य ārya) and feminine (आर्या āryā) given name, signifying "honorable" or "noble".[3][4][5] In India and Iran it is a popular masculine given name and a popular surname. In the historically Indianized country of Cambodia, it is usually a name given to girls. In Indonesia, Arya is also commonly used as a masculine given name, usually in Java, Bali, and other places. In Javanese it becomes Aryo, Ario, or Aryono. It is a common name amongst Hindus and Muslims.

Modern usage

The 2011 television series Game of Thrones features a character named Arya Stark, increasing the name's popularity among Western audiences. In 2013, BBC News wrote that "the passion and the extreme devotion of fans" had brought about a phenomenon unlike anything related to other popular TV series, manifesting itself in a very broad range of fan labor, such as fan fiction,[6] Game of Thrones-themed burlesque routines, or people naming their children after characters from the series.[7] In 2012, "Arya" was the fastest-rising girl's name in popularity in the United States, jumping from 711th to 413th position.[8] [9]

It peaked in popularity in the United States in 2019, when it was the 92nd most popular name for newborn girls. It fell to 120th position on the U.S. popularity chart in 2021.[10] The name entered the top 200 most commonly used names for girls born in England and Wales in 2017.[11]

Notable persons

From India

From Indonesia

From Iran

From other origins

Fictional characters

References

  1. ^ "Baby name". Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  2. ^ "Aryan". Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  3. ^ Gandhi, Maneka (2004). The Penguin Book of Hindu Names for Girls. New Delhi: Penguin Books. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-14-303169-7. OCLC 60454994. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  4. ^ Gandhi, Maneka (2004). The Penguin Book of Hindu Names for Boys. New Delhi: Penguin Books. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-14-303168-0. OCLC 60391724. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  5. ^ Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2013.
  6. ^ Templeton, Molly (June 16, 2013). "The best (and the weirdest) of "Game of Thrones" fanfiction". Salon. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  7. ^ de Castella, Tom (March 22, 2013). "Game of Thrones: Why does it inspire such devotion among fans?". BBC News Magazine. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  8. ^ Carlson, Adam (May 10, 2013). "'Game of Thrones' domination is nearly complete: 'Arya' is the fastest-rising name for baby girls". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  9. ^ Safronova, Valeriya (29 April 2019). "Hello, Arya! 'Game of Thrones' Baby Names Are for Girls: Baby names inspired by the powerful women on "Game of Thrones" are rising in popularity". New York Times. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  10. ^ "Popular Baby Names (United States Social Security Administration)". Archived from the original on 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  11. ^ Mzimba, Lizo (2017-09-20). "Game of Thrones Arya among 200 most popular names". BBC News. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
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