Keya
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "plant" or "ray".
Name Census estimates that about 1,813 living Americans carry the first name Keya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Keya today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keya births was 1972 (78 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keya. 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
1.8K
~ 1 in 189,054 Americans
Peak year
1972
78 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,063
Tracked since 1967
Popularity
Keya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Keya from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 465 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keya 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 Keya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Keyas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. California, New Jersey, Illinois recorded the most babies named Keya, while Texas, South Carolina, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 29 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Keya
The given name Keya is believed to have originated from Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that was the root of many modern Indian languages. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Kaya," which means "body" or "physical form." It is considered a feminine name, although its usage is not limited to a particular region or culture.
In Hindu mythology, the word "Kaya" holds significance as it is associated with the physical manifestation of the soul or the divine consciousness. It is believed that the name Keya may have been chosen to represent the embodiment of spiritual qualities or the connection between the physical and the ethereal realms.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Keya can be traced back to ancient Indian texts and scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Upanishads. However, it is difficult to pinpoint specific historical figures from that era who bore this name, as record-keeping was not as comprehensive as it is today.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Keya was a Bengali poet and writer from the 16th century. Keya Dasa, born in 1545 in the village of Baliati, West Bengal, was renowned for his devotional poetry and his contribution to the Vaishnava literary tradition.
In more recent times, Keya Ghosh (1936-2014) was a renowned Indian classical singer and exponent of the Patiala gharana. She was awarded the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986 for her contributions to Hindustani classical music.
Keya Morgan (born 1976) is an American film producer and writer, best known for her association with the late actor Marlon Brando and her involvement in the management of his estate.
Keya Paha (1896-1988) was a Native American artist and member of the Omaha tribe. She was known for her intricate beadwork and her efforts to preserve and promote traditional Omaha culture.
Keya Mukherjee (born 1949) is an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, renowned for her expertise in the Odissi dance form. She has received numerous accolades, including the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors.
While these are some notable individuals who have borne the name Keya throughout history, it is important to note that the name's popularity and usage may have varied across different cultures and time periods. The name's Sanskrit roots and symbolic meaning, however, remain a significant part of its historical significance.
People
Keya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Keya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,813 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keya 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 189,054 US residents.
Is Keya a common name?
We classify Keya as "Rare". It ranks above 93.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,897 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keya most popular?
The single biggest year for Keya was 1972, when 78 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keya is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Keya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keya 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.