Girl name
Aya name meaning
“holy woman; female saint”
Aya means a holy woman or female saint. In this meaning, it is connected with Greek agía, meaning holy or saint, and is used as a feminine name in Türkiye. The Aya element in Aya Sofya provides a familiar association with the same vocabulary of sacredness.
What does Aya mean?
Holy woman; female saint
In Turkish: kutsal kadın; azize
Aya has counterparts in several languages and cannot always be assigned a single origin. The Greek interpretation connects it with the sacred designation familiar in Turkish monument names such as Aya Sofya and Aya İrini. The Turkish word for the palm of the hand is separate and should not automatically define the name.
Origin of the name Aya
One interpretation derives Aya from Greek agía, meaning holy or a female saint. This is distinct from the Turkish word aya, meaning palm of the hand; identical name spellings also occur in other languages.
How to pronounce Aya
| Syllables | 2 · 3 letters · 3-letter girl names |
|---|---|
| IPA | /aja/ |
Is Aya a girl’s name?
Yes, Aya is used mostly as a girl’s name. See all girl names.
Aya does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025).
Spellings and similar names
Names that sound like Aya
Names with related meanings
- Melek♀Spiritual being regarded as a divine messenger
- Hira♀Name of a mountain and cave near Mecca
- Esra♀Night journey
- Betül♀Virgin
- Nefes♀Breath
- Meva♀A place of refuge, shelter, or abode
- Züleyha♀Heroine of the Yusuf and Züleyha story
- Zeliha♀Heroine of the Yusuf and Züleyha story
- Ravzanur♀Garden and light
- Cennet♀Paradise
- Nur♀Light
- Firdevs♀Paradise
FAQ about the name Aya
What is the meaning of Aya?
Aya means “holy woman; female saint”. One interpretation derives Aya from Greek agía, meaning holy or a female saint. This is distinct from the Turkish word aya, meaning palm of the hand; identical name spellings also occur in other languages.
Is Aya a girl’s name?
Yes, Aya is used mostly as a girl’s name.
Is Aya in the Quran?
No. Neither the name Aya nor its source word occurs in the Quran.
What is the origin of the name Aya?
Aya is of Greek origin.
How many syllables does Aya have?
Aya has 2 syllables and 3 letters.
How popular is the name Aya?
Aya does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025).
Sources and method
Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.
Entry ID: nm04789 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake