Kiya is a short name of uncertain origin; it is usually explained as a modern respelling of Kia or as a pet form of Kiara, which through the Italian Chiara means "bright" or "clear". The same name belonged to a queen of ancient Egypt, a secondary wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten. In the United States Kiya entered the top 1000 in 2002, peaking at number 963 that year, and has since drifted down to number 2947 in 2025.