Amaya
ah-MY-ah · 3 syllables
♀ Female ◎ Basque / Japanese / Spanish ◈ 3 syllables
"The end, night rain"

From Basque / Japanese / Spanish

Amaya is a name that means night rain in Japanese and high place in Basque — two beautiful meanings from opposite ends of the earth. The Basque city of Amaya was an important fortress in medieval Spain. In Japanese, the combination of ama (rain) and ya (night) creates a hauntingly poetic image. It's a name that sounds gentle but carries ancient strength from two unrelated cultures.

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Amaya at a glance
MeaningThe end, night rain
OriginBasque / Japanese / Spanish
GenderFemale
Syllables3
NumerologyLife Path 5
US Rank (today)#166
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Why parents love Amaya
  • Night rain (Japanese) is one of the most poetic meanings any name can have.
  • High place (Basque) adds strength to the beauty.
  • Three syllables with a soft, open rhythm: ah-MY-ah.
  • It sounds like a blend of Amara and Maya — familiar yet distinctive.
  • It works across cultures: Japanese, Basque, Spanish, and English.
The vibe of Amaya
poeticJapaneseBasquegentleancientnocturnalstrongmulticultural
Origin & history of Amaya
Japanese ama (rain) + ya (night) = night rain / Basque Amaya (high place) English Amaya
1
Basque / Japanese / Spanish roots
Amaya has two distinct etymological paths. In Japanese, it combines ama (rain) and ya (night), creating the image of night rain — a hauntingly beautiful concept in Japanese aesthetics. In the Basque language, Amaya means high place or the end, and it was the name of an important medieval fortress city. The name appears in Navarro's romantic novel Amaya, o los vascos en el siglo VIII (1879). In the US, Amaya entered the top 200 in the 2000s and has climbed steadily, appreciated by parents from diverse backgrounds for its multicultural resonance and beautiful sound.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Traditional in both Japanese and Basque cultures for centuries; English usage growing since the 2000s.
3
Today
Amaya remains a beloved choice, ranking #166 in the US. 41,804 babies have been named Amaya since 1972.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Japanese naming resources, Basque naming traditions, SSA data
How popular is Amaya?
2018 peak year
The name Amaya reached its peak in 2018, with 2,277 registrations (ranked #130). It first surfaced in U.S. records in 1972, roughly 46 years before its peak. Since the peak, the name has eased to around #166 today, averaging about 1,819 new babies per year. Amaya's usage has held roughly steady recently. Across all years on record, approximately 41,804 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations 1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
2,277 Babies named in peak year
(ranked #130)
1,819 Avg. per year
(last decade)
18,190 Total registrations
last 10 years
41,804 All-time total
(since 1880)
Popularity in the US today (rank #166) Very popular
→ Holding steady in recent years
📊 Check all names registered in the United States →
Numerology of Amaya
5
Life path number
The Adventurer
Freedom, adventure and curiosity.

Amaya's Life Path 1 is the pioneer's number — fitting for a name that bridges Japanese and Basque cultures. People named Amaya tend to be independent, perceptive, and comfortable navigating between different worlds. Their strength is their adaptability.

Bridges different worlds
Independently perceptive
Adaptable strength
Poetic depth
Gentle power
A1
M4
A1
Y7
A1
Sum: 14 → Life path 5
Personality of Amaya
🌍
Free spirit
Adventure calls and they always answer.
Electric energy
Things happen around them — exciting, unexpected.
🦋
Adaptable
New situations are opportunities, never threats.
💬
Natural charmer
There's something magnetic about them.
Names that sound like Amaya

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Middle names for Amaya

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Numerology life path calculator

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How we calculated this
Amaya is a beautiful choice.
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