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Arya

Sanskrit; Modern variation of Aria
"noble; air/song"
Linda Rosenkrantz
By Linda Rosenkrantz
Updated Thu Mar 20 2025

Arya Origin and Meaning

The name Arya is a girl's name of Sanskrit origin meaning "noble; air/song".

Arya was derived from an Indo-Iranian word meaning "Aryan" or "noble." It is a masculine given name in Iran, Indonesia, Bali, and Sanskrit-speaking regions of India. In Hindu- and English-speaking parts of the world, Arya is more often a feminine name, the latter influenced by the similar Italian name Aria, meaning "air" or "song."

The prime impetus of Arya's rise is the fiercely independent young character Arya Stark in the TV series Game of Thrones, based on the George R. R. Martin books A Song of Fire and Ice. Another influence is the Elven princess in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle trilogy, basis of the movie Eragon.

The name resembles the musical Aria and the male Aryan, both also growing in popularity in the US. Arya entered the popularity charts in 2010.

# 139 in the US

Arya Rank in US Top 1000

02004006008001000201020202023
# 763 on Nameberry

Arya Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

0200400600800100020122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Popularity of the name Arya

20 Names Similar to Arya

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Arya.

Famous People Named Arya

  • Arya Jones (b. 2013)
    daughter of American,New Zealand basketballer Marcel Jones

The name Arya in Pop Culture

  • Arya Stark
    character in George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" and "Game of Thrones" series
  • Arya Drottningu
    Elven princess in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle
  • Game of Thrones pronunciation: "ARE
    yuh." Author George R.R. Martin himself has pointed out that a surprisingly large number of people pronounce it incorrectly: it consists of two syllables, not three. Martin explained: "I say it 'Are,ya,' two syllables not three. Not 'are,ee,uh,' not like an operatic thing [aria], but 'Are,ya,' very sharp. I wanted something that was like a knife, that was a sharp and hard sound, to be a contrast to the flowery 'Sansa.'"