Raya is a given name with multiple, unrelated origins in different cultures. It is a Bulgarian diminutive of Rayna, meaning ''happy'' or a Russian diminutive of Raisa. It might also be related to the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

name Regina meaning ''queen''. It is also said to be an Arabic name derived from ريا (raya), meaning ''perfume'' or from راية (rayah), meaning ''banner or flag''. It is also said to be a

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

name meaning ''friend''. It is also said to be a

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

name meaning ''flow''. In Indonesia and Malaysia, the term refers to ''greatness''. The phrase ''hari raya'' is used to refer to a big celebration. The word is also associated in that region with ''

rajah Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The title has a long ...

'', a term used for nobility in India and related cultures. Raya is also a Galician and Spanish surname that has been said to be derived from a place name or a term referring to a border. Other, similar, spellings in use in places such as Canada and the United States include Rayah, Rayya, Rya, and Ryah. It is also a masculine given name in different cultures, including the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

Usage

Raya was among the ten most popular names given to newborn girls in

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

in 2021. It debuted among the 1,000 most popular names for newborn girls in the United States in 2020 and was among the 500 most popular names for American newborn girls in 2021. It ranked in 402nd position for girls on the American popularity chart in 2022. It was noted as a name that had greatly increased in usage there. The name has ranked among the top 1,000 names for girls in England and Wales since 2006. In 2021, it ranked in 203rd position for English and Welsh newborn girls on the popularity chart, greater usage than in any prior year. It was among the top 250 names for newborn girls in Canada in 2021, ranking 240th on the popularity chart that year. The name's rising popularity has been ascribed to the release of the 2021 animated film ''

Raya and the Last Dragon ''Raya and the Last Dragon'' ( ) is a 2021 American animated fantasy action adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, co-directed by ...

'', which featured the titular character Raya.

Men

* Raya Martin (born 1984), Filipino filmmaker

Women

* Raya (died 1921), Egyptian serial killer * Raya Abirached (born 1977), Lebanese TV presenter and celebrity journalist * Raya Dunayevskaya (1910–1987), Russian-born American Marxist philosopher and humanist activist *

Raya Haffar El Hassan Raya El Hassan (, ; born January 1967) is a Lebanese people, Lebanese politician who held the office of the interior and municipalities ministry, and the finance ministry. She is the first woman in Lebanon to be appointed to these and equivalent ...

(born 1967), Lebanese politician * Raya Meddine, American actress of Lebanese descent * Raya Zeineddine (born 1988), Syrian sports shooter

Notes

{{reflist Arabic-language feminine given names Bulgarian feminine given names Filipino masculine given names Masculine given names Hebrew feminine given names Russian feminine given names Feminine given names