Draya
A feminine name of unknown meaning and origin.
Name Census estimates that about 898 living Americans carry the first name Draya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Draya today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Draya births was 2017 (106 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Draya. 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.
People living today
898
~ 1 in 381,686 Americans
Peak year
2017
106 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,208
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Draya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Draya from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 649 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Draya remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Draya 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 Draya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Drayas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. Texas, Illinois, California recorded the most babies named Draya, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 27 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Draya
The name Draya has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language, which was spoken in the Indian subcontinent around the 2nd millennium BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "drāya," which means "prosperous" or "wealthy." The name was likely used by the Vedic people, who were the original speakers of Sanskrit and played a significant role in the development of Hinduism.
One of the earliest known references to the name Draya comes from the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. In the Rig Veda, there is a mention of a person named Draya, who was praised for his wisdom and prosperity. This suggests that the name was in use during the Vedic period, which is estimated to have lasted from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE.
In the centuries that followed, the name Draya continued to be used in various parts of the Indian subcontinent. One notable historical figure bearing this name was Draya Mitra, a renowned scholar and philosopher who lived in the 5th century CE. He was known for his contributions to the study of Indian philosophy and his commentaries on ancient texts.
Another prominent individual named Draya was Draya Devi, a queen who ruled over the Chahamana dynasty in present-day Rajasthan, India, during the 12th century CE. She was celebrated for her military victories and her patronage of the arts and architecture.
In the 16th century, there was a famous poet named Draya Kavi, who was renowned for his devotional poetry in the Bhakti tradition. His works, which were written in various Indian languages, such as Hindi and Brajbhasha, continue to be widely read and appreciated today.
During the 17th century, a notable figure named Draya Shastri emerged as a prominent scholar of Hindu philosophy and astrology. He authored several influential texts and was known for his expertise in various fields, including mathematics and astronomy.
It is worth noting that while the name Draya has its origins in Sanskrit and was primarily used in the Indian subcontinent, there have been instances of individuals with this name in other parts of the world as well. However, these occurrences are relatively rare and may be attributed to various factors, such as migration or cultural exchange.
People
Draya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Draya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Draya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Draya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 898 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Draya 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 381,686 US residents.
Is Draya a common name?
We classify Draya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 904 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Draya most popular?
The single biggest year for Draya was 2017, when 106 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Draya is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Draya in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Draya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Draya 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.
Is Draya still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Draya in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Draya can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Draya?
Find out how many Americans are named Draya on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.