
Origin, Meaning, And History Of Kaya
Kaya is a name that has traveled across countries and holds several meanings in different cultures. The name Kaya is a unisex name of Native American origin, meaning ‘my elder sister.’
In Turkish, Kaya is a name or a nickname meaning ‘rock’ and is assigned to someone who is as strong as a rock. Kaya is usually a popular surname in Japan and has several meanings. However, the most common meanings can be ‘resting place’ or ‘restoration.’ It is also a popular surname in Turkey as well. As a name, Kaya in Japanese means ‘incense,’ ‘perfume,’ ‘fruit,’ or ‘reward’ from the element ‘ka’ combined with ‘ya’ in phonetics. It can also be an alternative spelling for the Indonesian name Cathya meaning ‘light.’
Kaya as a name is linked to the ancient Nimi’ipuu tribe meaning ‘we, the people.’ They are the indigenous people of British Columbia, Canada, and parts of the northwestern US. They were mostly recognized by their French-christened name Nez Percé and were presumed to have lived on the Columbia River Plateau. The Nimi’ipuu were economically and culturally influential in trade and war, which led them to rear the Appaloosa horse breed in the 18th century.
While in the US, Kaya is exclusively used as a girl’s name, in the Turkish community, Kaya is reserved for boys. The name bears diverse variations with its female variants like Caia, Kaia, Caya, Caja or Kaja.
Kaya has found significant acclaim from Kaya’aton’my meaning ‘she who arranges rocks’ in the ‘American Girl’ book series. She has been depicted as a young and active girl, who has great care for horses. Kaya is a fictional character appearing in the Japanese manga series ‘One Piece.’ She is a young, rich girl living in a large mansion and receiving an inheritance after her father’s death. Kaya is also a fictional character from the film ‘Princess Mononoke,’ who has a sweet personality with a deep care for Ashitaka.
How To Pronounce Kaya?
Famous People With The Name Kaya
- Kaya JonesCanadian-American singer, and model, popular for performing with the American girl group “The Pussycat Dolls”
- Okay Kaya (Kaya Wilkins)Norwegian-American musician and actress, known for the album “Watch This Liquid Pour Itself”
- Kaya TurskiCanadian freestyle skier, winner of the gold medal at the 2010 Winter X Games
- Kaya KiyoharaJapanese actress, model and singer, best known for her role in “In The Wake”
Kaya On The Popularity Chart
Kaya was the most popular name in the early 21st century in the US according to the Social Security Administration. Read the graphs below to gain a better insight into the name.
Popularity Over Time
The name Kaya gained popularity in the 1990s with its peak popularity coming in 2004 when 528 babies per million shared the name.
Source: Social Security AdministrationRank Over Time
After 1981, Kaya improved in ranking and entered the list of the top 1000 names in 2000 and continued to do well for the next two decades.
Source: Social Security AdministrationNames With Similar Sound As Kaya
If you like the way Kaya sounds, here are some similar-sounding names that you may consider.
Names With Similar Meaning As Kaya
Are you looking for names that mean the same as Kaya? Take a look at the list below.
Name Numerology For Kaya


