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Home › Baby Names Directory › Suriya

Suriya

♀ Girl

Pronounced soo-REE-yuh /suˈriː.jə/Medium

Meaning: From the Sanskrit surya, 'sun' — also the name of the Hindu sun god, honored across South Asia. As a personal name it is used in Tamil and Thai communities and leans to boys there; U.S. use for girls is modern. It also resembles the Arabic name Suraya/Thurayya ('the Pleiades'), which some families intend instead.Low

In 30 seconds: Sunlight in a name: Suriya comes from the Sanskrit surya, 'sun' (said 'soo-REE-yuh'). More often a boy's name in South Asia — we note the lean.
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Origin MediumSanskrit, Tamil
MeaningFrom the Sanskrit surya, 'sun' — also the name of the Hindu sun god, honored across South Asia. As a personal name it is used in Tamil and Thai communities and leans to boys there; U.S. use for girls is modern. It also resembles the Arabic name Suraya/Thurayya ('the Pleiades'), which some families intend instead.
U.S. rank (2024)#13272 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2008
Total births (all-time)≈ 240

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200819942024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Suriya traces to the Sanskrit surya, 'sun,' and to Surya, the Hindu sun god. It is widely used in Tamil and Thai communities, where it leans strongly to boys — the Tamil actor Suriya is one well-known bearer. In the U.S. it is used for girls too, partly through confusion with the Arabic Suraya ('the Pleiades'). Routes are uncertain, which we note (said 'soo-REE-yuh').

It appears only very rarely for girls in the U.S., against boys' use elsewhere. Very rare, radiant, and cross-sex.

Did you know? Surya is both the Sanskrit word for the sun and the name of the Hindu sun god, drawn across the sky in a chariot of seven horses. The name is more often given to boys in South Asia, which we note.
Overall data confidence 42%
References — Suriya — Sanskrit surya 'sun'; Hindu sun god; boy-leaning in South Asia

Variations

SuryaSuriyahSoorya

Nicknames

SuriRiya

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Suriya…

Divya— a like radiance-rooted Sanskrit name
Aditi— the mother of the sun gods in myth
Kavya— a like flowing Sanskrit pick
Tara— a like celestial Indian name

Explore names like Suriya

By themeuncertainsanskritcross-sexsun

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Suriya mean?

Suriya comes from the Sanskrit surya, 'sun,' also the name of the Hindu sun god; some families intend the Arabic Suraya instead.

How do you pronounce Suriya?

It's said soo-REE-yuh /suˈriː.jə/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Suriya a boy or girl name?

In South Asia Suriya is more often a boy's name — we note the lean; it is used for girls in the U.S.

How popular is Suriya?

Suriya is a very rare name for girls in the U.S.

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