Find out how popular the first name Jaya has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Jaya by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Jaya is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 99% of people named Jaya being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 87 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Jaya.

The history of the first name Jaya

The name Jaya originates from the Sanskrit language, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that is the root of many modern Indian languages. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "jaya," which means "victory" or "triumph." The name has been in use since ancient times in various parts of the Indian subcontinent.

In Hindu mythology, Jaya is a name associated with Lord Vishnu, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The name appears in several ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Puranas and the Mahabharata, where it is often used as an epithet for Lord Vishnu or as a name for one of his avatars or incarnations.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Jaya can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic poem that dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In the epic, Jaya is the name of a character who is a warrior and a close companion of Lord Krishna.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Jaya. One of the most famous is Jaya Bhatta (circa 5th century CE), a renowned Sanskrit scholar and grammarian who wrote several influential works on Sanskrit grammar and poetics.

Another prominent figure is Jaya Prakash Narayan (1902-1979), an Indian independence activist and political leader who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement and later in the opposition against the government of Indira Gandhi.

Jaya Dev (1170-1198), also known as Jaya Deva, was a celebrated Sanskrit poet and playwright from medieval India. He is best known for his poetic work "Gita Govinda," which is considered a masterpiece of Sanskrit literature.

Jaya Chamaraja Wodeyar (1919-1976) was a maharaja (king) of the princely state of Mysore in southern India. He is remembered for his contributions to the development of education, industry, and infrastructure in the region.

Jaya Bachchan (born in 1948) is a renowned Indian actress and politician. She has appeared in numerous Bollywood films and has also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament.

The name Jaya has been used across various regions of the Indian subcontinent, and it has maintained its popularity over the centuries due to its auspicious meaning and cultural significance.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Jaya was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jaya, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!