Diya: meaning and UK use

What does Diya mean?

This entry covers the Hindi feminine name Diya. The dictionary lists a separate Arabic name with the same Roman spelling, so the intended language should be stated.

Language or name family covered

Hindi

Meaning or derivation

Lamp or light

Our browsing group

girl; international, modern

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Diya

Pronunciation and related forms

We have not verified a pronunciation for this entry. Ask a speaker of the intended language rather than relying on an English spelling alone.

No variants or nicknames have been verified for this entry. A family nickname does not need to be an established dictionary form.

How popular is Diya?

In 2025, 43 baby girls in England and Wales were registered as Diya, making it the 834th most popular girls’ name. That is down 67 places on 2024, when it ranked 767th. It has slipped from 440th in 2015, 394 places in ten years. Its best year in the ONS series was 2007, at 326th. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (girls)

834th

2025 registrations

43

Best rank in this series

326th (2007)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Diya: rank and number of baby girls by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	834	43
2024	767	49
2023	706	51
2022	762	48
2021	720	52
2020	720	51
2019	641	61
2018	745	53
2017	541	80
2016	573	73
2015	440	100
2014	396	110
2013	401	106
2012	374	127
2011	390	119
2010	361	125
2009	346	126
2008	368	120
2007	326	136
2006	365	116
2005	376	107
2004	439	81
2003	583	50
2002	750	34
2001	1359	14
2000	1995	8
1999	3900	3
1998	3142	4
1997	3174	4
1996	3795	3

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 girls series is 2,054. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Diya

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Amarainternational, modern · Grace
• Ariamodern, international · Song or melody; literally air
• Freyamodern, international · Lady
• Mayainternational, modern · Meaning depends on the language
• Miamodern, international · A short form of Maria
• Orlainternational, modern · An anglicised form of Órlaith

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Diya, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.