Amya
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "boundless" or "infinite".
Name Census estimates that about 10,093 living Americans carry the first name Amya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Amya today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Amya births was 2004 (717 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Amya. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Amya is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 17 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
10K
~ 1 in 33,960 Americans
Peak year
2004
717 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,964
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Amya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Amya from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 5,985 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Amya by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Amya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Amyas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 41 states and territories. Texas, Florida, California recorded the most babies named Amya, while West Virginia, Montana, Idaho recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 222 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Amya
The name Amya is a relatively modern name with uncertain origins. It is believed to have emerged in the late 20th century, likely as a combination or variation of existing names.
One theory suggests that Amya is a blend of the names Amy and Maya. Amy is a French name derived from the Old French "amee," meaning "beloved." Maya, on the other hand, has its roots in Sanskrit and is a popular Hindu name meaning "illusion" or "dream." By combining these two names, Amya may have been created to convey a sense of being beloved and dreamlike.
Another possible origin for Amya is that it is a variation of the name Amaia, which is of Basque origin. Amaia is a feminine name believed to be derived from the Basque word "amatxi," meaning "little mother." In this context, Amya could be interpreted as a diminutive form of Amaia, carrying a similar connotation of maternal love and affection.
While the name Amya does not appear to have any direct historical references or mentions in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has gained popularity in recent decades, particularly in Western countries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Amya is Amya Nadia Dutton, an American actress born in 1995. Amya Dutton is known for her roles in films such as "The Woodsman" (2004) and "Hounddog" (2007).
Another notable individual with the name Amya is Amya Hernandez, an American singer and songwriter born in 2004. Hernandez gained recognition for her appearances on the reality competition shows "La Banda" and "La Banda Herederos."
In the world of literature, Amya is the name of a character in the novel "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" by Ann Brashares, published in 2001. Amya is portrayed as one of the four best friends at the center of the story.
In the field of sports, Amya Kenion is an American professional basketball player born in 1998. Kenion played college basketball for the University of Cincinnati and was drafted by the New York Liberty in the 2022 WNBA draft.
Lastly, Amya Johnson is a British singer and songwriter born in 1997. Johnson rose to prominence as a contestant on the reality singing competition "The X Factor" in 2014.
While the name Amya is relatively new and its origins are uncertain, it has gained popularity in recent years, potentially due to its pleasant sound and the possible meanings derived from its potential roots in existing names.
People
Amya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Amya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Amya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Amya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10,093 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Amya going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 33,960 US residents.
Is Amya a common name?
We classify Amya as "Uncommon". It ranks above 97.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10,218 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Amya most popular?
The single biggest year for Amya was 2004, when 717 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Amya is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Amya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Amya in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.