Arya, also spelled Aarya, Aariya or Ariya (Sanskrit: आर्य/आर्या ārya/āryā; Old Persian: 𐎠𐎼𐎡𐎹 Persian: آریا ariya), is a name of Indo-Iranian origin. It traces back to the ethnonym and endonym Arya, used by the Indo-Iranians to identify themselves as "noble" or "honorable". In both Sanskrit and Avestan, Arya refers to those viewed as a part of a civilized or morally distinguished group, contrasting with non-Aryans. The term appears in ancient religious and historical texts, representing ideals of nobility and virtue. In the Indian Subcontinent, the Sanskrit name 'Arya' is used as both a surname and a given name, with the given name appearing in masculine (आर्य ārya) and feminine (आर्या āryā) forms. The name is widely used in India and Iran, where it carries connotations of an ancient lineage of rich heritage and cultural values.[4][5][6]
| Gender | Neutral |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Sanskrit, Old Iranian |
| Meaning | "Noble one"[1] [2][3] |
| Other names | |
| See also | Aria, Aryan, Ariana |
The name Arya can also be found in countries historically deeply influenced by India and Indian culture from where the name originates. For instance, in Indonesia, Arya is commonly used as a masculine given name, particularly in Java, Bali, and other places. In Javanese, the name takes variations in the forms of Aryo, Ario, and Aryono. In another Indianized country of Cambodia, Arya is more often given to girls. It is a common name among Hindus.
Modern usage
editThe 2011 television series Game of Thrones features a character named Arya Stark, increasing the name's popularity among Western audiences. In 2013, BBC News wrote that "the passion and the extreme devotion of fans" had brought about a phenomenon unlike anything related to other popular TV series, manifesting itself in a very broad range of fan labor, such as fan fiction,[7] Game of Thrones-themed burlesque routines, or people naming their children after characters from the series.[8] In 2012, "Arya" was the fastest-rising girl's name in popularity in the United States, jumping from 711th to 413th position.[9] [10]
It peaked in popularity in the United States in 2019, when it was the 92nd most popular name for newborn girls. It fell to 120th position on the U.S. popularity chart in 2021.[11] The name entered the top 200 most commonly used names for girls born in England and Wales in 2017.[12]
Notable persons
editFrom India
editSingle name
edit- Arya (actor) (born 1980), south Indian actor
- Arya (actress), Indian actress (Arya Babu, stage name Arya Badai)
Given name
edit- Aarya Ambekar (born 1994), Marathi playback singer
- Aarya Babbar (born 1981), Indian actor
- Arya Gopi, Indian Malayalam-language poet
- Arya Rohit, Indian actress
- Arya Bhatta (476–550), Indian mathematician
Surname
edit- A. S. Arya, Indian structural engineer
- Aditi Arya (born 1993), Indian model
- Aditya Arya, Indian photographer
- Anita Arya, Indian politician from the BJP
- Chaudhari Kumbharam Arya (1914–1995), Indian freedom fighter and leader
- Ishan Arya, Indian cinematographer and producer
- Mangilal Arya (1918–1992), Indian freedom fighter and social reformer
- Satyadeo Narain Arya, Indian politician from Bihar
- Shraddha Arya, Indian actress from the Telugu film industry
- Shubhavi Arya (born 1998), Indian animator
- S. N. Arya, Indian physician and writer
- S. P. Y. Surendranath Arya, Indian independence activist
- Yashpal Arya, Indian politician from the National Congress
From Indonesia
edit- Arya Penangsang, Sultan of Demak (1549–1554)
- Ario Soerjo (1898–1948), murdered Indonesian politician
- Arya Maulana Aldiartama (born 1995), Indonesian badminton player
- I Ngurah Komang Arya (born 1985), Indonesian footballer
- Aryo Danusiri, Indonesian film director
- Aryo Djojohadikusumo, Indonesian politician
- Bima Arya (born 1972), Indonesian politician
From Iran
edit- Aryo Barzan, an Achaemenid prince who was born in 368 BC and died in 330 BC
- Aryandes, satrap of Persian Egypt
- Ariamnes, satrap of Cappadocia
- Ariyāramna, a minor king in pre-imperial Persia (Pars region) and great-grandfather of Darius I
- Ariobarzanes I of Media Atropatene, ruled from 65 BC to 56 BC
- Ariobarzanes II of Atropatene, grandson of Ariobarzanes I, king of Media Atropatene from 20 BC to 8 BC
- Ariobarzanes I of Cappadocia, king of Cappadocia from 93 BC to ca. 63 or 62 BC
- Akram Monfared Arya (born 1946), first Iranian female pilot
- Fatemeh Motamed-Arya (born 1961), Iranian actress
- Arya Aramnejad (born 1983), Iranian singer
- Arya Aziminejad (born 1973), Iranian composer
- Arya Nasimi-Shad (born 1999), Iranian swimmer
- Ariya Daivari (born 1989), Iranian-American professional wrestler
In other countries
edit- Arya Mitra Sharma (born 1959), German doctor
- Chandra Arya, Canadian politician
- Ritu Arya, British actress
Fictional characters
edit- Arya Dröttningu (later Arya Dröttning), from the Inheritance Cycle book series by Christopher Paolini
- Arya Stark, from George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones
References
edit- ^ "Arya - Meaning and Definition". Wisdom Library. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ "Baby name". Retrieved 23 April 2016.
- ^ "Aryan". Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
- ^ Gandhi, Maneka (2004). The Penguin Book of Hindu Names for Girls. New Delhi: Penguin Books. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-14-303169-7. OCLC 60454994. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
- ^ Gandhi, Maneka (2004). The Penguin Book of Hindu Names for Boys. New Delhi: Penguin Books. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-14-303168-0. OCLC 60391724. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
- ^ Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2013.
- ^ Templeton, Molly (16 June 2013). "The best (and the weirdest) of "Game of Thrones" fanfiction". Salon. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
- ^ de Castella, Tom (22 March 2013). "Game of Thrones: Why does it inspire such devotion among fans?". BBC News Magazine. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ^ Carlson, Adam (10 May 2013). "'Game of Thrones' domination is nearly complete: 'Arya' is the fastest-rising name for baby girls". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ^ Safronova, Valeriya (29 April 2019). "Hello, Arya! 'Game of Thrones' Baby Names Are for Girls: Baby names inspired by the powerful women on "Game of Thrones" are rising in popularity". New York Times. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
- ^ "Popular Baby Names (United States Social Security Administration)". Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ Mzimba, Lizo (20 September 2017). "Game of Thrones Arya among 200 most popular names". BBC News. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
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