Nya is a short modern name of uncertain origin; it is usually read as a spelling of Nia, the Swahili word for "purpose" that is one of the principles of Kwanzaa, and sometimes as a short form of Anya or Aaliyah. It became popular in African American families around 2000. Nya was at number 788 in 2000 and peaked at number 618 in 2001; it later dropped out of the US top 1000 and ranks number 2767 in 2025.