Niya is a short, modern name with several possible roots: it is read as a variant of Nia, Swahili for "purpose" and Welsh for "brightness", or as a Sanskrit word meaning "lustrous". Its simplicity and open vowels made it popular in African American families around the turn of the millennium. Niya ranked 1050 among US girls in 2000, peaked at number 1022 in 2001 and stands at number 2807 in 2025.