Ya
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- YAH
- Origin
- Chinese
Ya is a girls' name of Chinese origin, meaning “elegant, refined”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Ya mean?
Chinese: meaning depends on the character used
“elegant, refined”
For girls it is often written with the character meaning elegant or refined.
Is Ya a girl's or a boy's name?
Ya is a girls' name.
How popular is Ya in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2008, with 7 girls.
Half of all the girls named Ya in the UK since 1996 were born between 2007 and 2013, the years shaded on the chart below.
Ya in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | #7,491 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 7 | #3,340 |
| 2018 | 4 | #4,914 |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 5 | #4,290 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 1 | #7,592 |
| 2013 | 5 | #4,267 |
| 2012 | 6 | #3,881 |
| 2011 | 1 | #7,717 |
| 2010 | 7 | #3,308 |
| 2009 | 6 | #3,603 |
| 2008 | 7 | #3,203 |
| 2007 | 6 | #3,396 |
| 2006 | 5 | #3,724 |
| 2005 | 5 | #3,543 |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 4 | #3,556 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 3 | #4,074 |
| 1999 | 1 | #5,182 |
Names like Ya
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Summer, Safa, Zainab, Anya, Aaliyah, Aisha, Safaa, Safiya, Hafsa, Humaira, Hiba, Rahma
Names related to Ya
More Chinese names
Lian, Jia, Mei, Tai, Tian, Jun, Mulan, Yi, Tao, San, Jian, Han, Mian, Bao, Xia, Lin
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Ya: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ya, updated 20 October 2026.