Miya

A girl's name of Japanese origin with 7,947 recorded U.S. births.

Girl's name#1403 in 2024Declining

Meaning & Origin

The Miya people of Lower Assam, Republic of India.

Miya is a girl's baby name of Japanese origin meaning 'temple' or 'palace,' from the Japanese mi ('beautiful') and ya ('house' or 'shrine'). It also carries associations with beauty and elegance in Japanese culture, where the name evokes refinement and grace.

Miya has a gentle, flowing quality that works beautifully in both Japanese and English contexts. It sits alongside Maya, Mia, and Mila as a name with soft, feminine energy and cross-cultural appeal. Short, melodic, and quietly lovely.

EtymologyShow more

Phonetically, Miya belongs to a cluster of names characterized by their open, warm ending — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. At one syllable, it has a punchy, memorable cadence that makes an immediate impression.

Within the Japanese naming tradition, names with similar sound structures often share underlying etymological patterns. Exploring Japanese names on this site may surface connections that illuminate Miya’s linguistic neighborhood.

At a Glance

7,947

Total births

Since 1965

2007

Peak

319 births

1965

First recorded

60 years of data

Compare Miya with another name

Popularity Over Time

Miya was #1002 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #1403, but its charm endures.

First appeared: 1965Peak: 2007 (319 births)Current: #1403

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Miya
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
2020s	926	#1269	▼
2010s	2,636	#990	▲
2000s	2,543	#967	▲
1990s	1,185	#1525	▲
1980s	420	#2506	▲
1970s	209	#4132	▲
1960s	28	#6145	—

The Story of Miya

A Gen Z name

Peaking in 2007, Miya is a name that defines a generation. Girls named Miya are most likely born between 1997 and 2017.

How rare is Miya?

Only about 1 in every 22,642 babies born in 2024 was named Miya — a truly uncommon choice.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1965, gained momentum through the mid-century, peaked in the 2010s with 2,636 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.

Miya by the numbers

Would fill 166 school buses
Meeting one Miya per day would take 21.8 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(59 years, 1965–2024)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Miya
Year	Births	Rank	Change
2024	159	#1403	-14 (-8.1%)
2023	173	#1314	-16 (-8.5%)
2022	189	#1271	-11 (-5.5%)
2021	200	#1205	-5 (-2.4%)
2020	205	#1154	-2 (-1.0%)
2019	207	#1160	-12 (-5.5%)
2018	219	#1119	-41 (-15.8%)
2017	260	#998	-25 (-8.8%)
2016	285	#954	+6 (2.2%)
2015	279	#971	-24 (-7.9%)
2014	303	#897	+9 (3.1%)
2013	294	#879	+14 (5.0%)
2012	280	#921	+8 (2.9%)
2011	272	#948	+35 (14.8%)
2010	237	#1049	-38 (-13.8%)
2009	275	#968	+4 (1.5%)
2008	271	#988	-48 (-15.0%)
2007	319	#877	+48 (17.7%)
2006	271	#969	-10 (-3.6%)
2005	281	#896	+45 (19.1%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Miya a boy's or girl's name?

Miya is primarily a girl's name.

When was Miya most popular?

Miya reached its peak popularity in 2007 with 319 births that year. It is currently ranked #1403 in the U.S.

How popular is the name Miya?

Miya is currently ranked #1403 in the U.S. (2024). It has been given to 7,947 babies since 1965.

Explore More

By Length4-letter names By OriginJapanese names By EndingNames in -a TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1965–2024