The first name Chaya
A girl’s name from Hebrew meaning “living”.
1 syllable Female
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Chaya means “living” in Hebrew.
From Hebrew חַיָּה (ḥayyā, “living”).
More names that mean life.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 52 girls were named Chaya, making it the 705th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2023, with 55 births (#657).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Chaya with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Chaya at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 499 girls born in the United States were named Chaya, the 588th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2024, when 504 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Chaya
1 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Mayim BialikAmerican actress, television personality, and author (born 1975)
More Hebrew girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Chaya mean?
- Chaya means “living” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Chaya?
- From Hebrew חַיָּה (ḥayyā, “living”).
- How popular is the name Chaya?
- In 2025, 52 girls born in England and Wales were named Chaya, ranking 705th. Its peak was 2023, with 55 births.
- Is Chaya a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 15,684 US babies named Chaya since 1880 were girls.
- When was Chaya most popular?
- 2024 in the United States, when 504 babies were named Chaya, its highest rank at 599th.