What does Asha mean?
From Sanskrit 'asha' (आशा) meaning 'hope, wish, desire'. Flag: an identically spelled but etymologically DIFFERENT Avestan word 'asha' means 'truth/cosmic order' (Zoroastrianism), and the Swahili name Asha derives from Arabic for 'life' - these are separate roots that share a spelling.
What does Riya mean?
Commonly given as Sanskrit-derived riya (रिया), 'singer' or 'graceful'. It is not well attested in classical Sanskrit literature, so this meaning is popular rather than firmly documented.