Find out how popular the last name Naya is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Naya.

Naya, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Naya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Naya in America

Naya is the 84748th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Naya surname appeared 221 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Naya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Naya to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Naya

The surname NAYA originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India and Pakistan. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "nava," which means "new" or "fresh." This suggests that the name might have been given to individuals who were either newcomers to a particular area or had recently embraced a new way of life, such as a religious conversion or a change in occupation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NAYA can be found in the ancient Hindu texts, the Vedas, which date back to around 1500 BCE. In these texts, the name is mentioned in reference to certain deities and celestial beings. Additionally, the name appears in various medieval manuscripts and records from the Indian subcontinent, indicating its widespread use throughout history.

During the Mughal Empire, which ruled over a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th century, the name NAYA was commonly found among both Hindu and Muslim communities. Several notable individuals bearing this surname emerged during this period, including Mir Naya, a celebrated Urdu poet who lived in the late 17th century, and Naya Brahmin, a prominent scholar and philosopher from the 18th century.

In the 19th century, as the British colonial rule expanded across India, the name NAYA gained further prominence. One notable figure from this period was Naya Singh, a brave warrior and leader who fought against the British forces during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

As people from the Indian subcontinent began migrating to other parts of the world, the surname NAYA also spread to various countries. For instance, in the early 20th century, a family bearing the surname NAYA settled in Fiji, where they became influential in the local community. One of their descendants, Naya Chandra, was a prominent politician and served as a member of the Fiji Parliament from 1972 to 1987.

Another individual of note was Naya Bhattacharya, a renowned Bengali writer and educator who lived from 1890 to 1964. Her literary works, which explored themes of social justice and women's empowerment, had a significant impact on the cultural landscape of Bengal.

Over the centuries, the surname NAYA has undergone various spelling variations, such as Nayak, Nayar, and Nayyar, reflecting the diverse linguistic and cultural influences in the regions where it was found. Despite these variations, the name has retained its distinct identity and continues to be a part of the rich tapestry of surnames found across the Indian subcontinent and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Naya

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Naya.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Naya was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Naya has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Naya, 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!