Teya
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly meaning "heavenly" or "gift from God".
Name Census estimates that about 1,255 living Americans carry the first name Teya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Teya today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Teya births was 1998 (77 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Teya. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Teya with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
1.3K
~ 1 in 273,111 Americans
Peak year
1998
77 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,750
Tracked since 1957
Census
Teya in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,168 people with the first name Teya, which placed it at #11,130 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#11,130
National first-name rank
People counted
1.2K
1,168 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.4
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
48.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Teya
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Teya is White at 48.5%. The next largest groups are Black (20.9%) and Hispanic (12.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Teya described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Teya at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.5% · 566
- Black or African American20.9% · 244
- Hispanic or Latino12.5% · 146
- Two or more races12.1% · 141
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.9% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 26
Popularity
Teya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Teya from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 454 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
Teya 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 Teya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Teyas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Teya, while Washington, Oregon, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Teya
The name Teya originates from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that dates back to the 2nd millennium BCE. In Sanskrit, the name Teya is derived from the word "teja," which means "brilliance" or "radiance." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were believed to possess a bright and shining personality or a strong aura.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Teya can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. In these sacred texts, there are references to individuals bearing the name Teya, although specific details about their lives and roles are scarce. However, the presence of the name in such ancient and revered texts highlights its deep-rooted cultural and religious significance.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Teya. One of the earliest known was Teya, a philosopher and spiritual teacher who lived in ancient India around the 6th century BCE. He is credited with developing a philosophical system known as Teyavada, which emphasized the importance of self-realization and the attainment of inner peace.
Another prominent individual with the name Teya was Teya the Warrior, a legendary figure who lived in the 8th century CE in what is now present-day Afghanistan. According to historical accounts, Teya was a skilled warrior and military strategist who played a significant role in defending her kingdom against foreign invaders.
In the realm of literature, Teya Mukherjee (1901-1980) was a renowned Bengali novelist and short story writer. Her works often explored themes of love, relationships, and the struggles of women in a patriarchal society. She is regarded as one of the pioneering voices of modern Bengali literature.
Teya Rendall (1919-2013) was an Australian artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her abstract and minimalist works. Her sculptures, often created from materials like wood and stone, were celebrated for their simplicity and elegance, reflecting her understanding of form and space.
Lastly, Teya Flores (born 1976) is a contemporary Mexican-American actress and filmmaker. She has appeared in numerous television shows and films, including the acclaimed series "Narcos" and "The Walking Dead." Flores is also known for her advocacy work, particularly in promoting diversity and representation in the entertainment industry.
While the name Teya may have originated in ancient Sanskrit, its presence throughout history and across various cultures demonstrates its enduring appeal and versatility. From philosophers and warriors to artists and actors, individuals with the name Teya have left their mark on diverse fields, showcasing the brilliance and radiance that the name itself embodies.
People
Teya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Teya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Teya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Teya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,255 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Teya 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 273,111 US residents.
Is Teya a common name?
We classify Teya as "Rare". It ranks above 91.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,290 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Teya most popular?
The single biggest year for Teya was 1998, when 77 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Teya is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Teya in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,168 people with the name Teya, or 0.39 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #11,130 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Teya in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Teya?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Teya appears almost entirely female. Of the 1,173 people counted with this name, 99.1% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Teya?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Teya is White at 48.5%. The next largest groups are Black (20.9%) and Hispanic (12.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Teya most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Teya in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.5% (566 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Teya in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Teya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Teya 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 Teya still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Teya 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 Teya 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.
How many Americans are named Teya?
See how many Americans are named Teya on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.