| Meera | Riya | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | the devotee Mirabai; sea, boundary | singer; graceful |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | MEE-rah | REE-yah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1965 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2025 (246) | 2005 (291) |
| In 2025 | 246 | 0 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Meera | Riya |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,221 | 1,146 |
| 2010s | 1,561 | 2,525 |
| 2000s | 716 | 2,341 |
| 1990s | 424 | 261 |
| 1980s | 222 | 0 |
| 1970s | 89 | 0 |
| 1960s | 26 | 0 |
Best known for the 16th-century saint-poet Mirabai, devotee of Krishna. The word mira (मीरा) is glossed 'sea, ocean, boundary/limit'. Cross-cultural: Mira also means 'peace' in Slavic and occurs in Arabic and Latin naming.
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.
Meera is more popular than Riya today: about 246 US babies were given the name Meera in 2025, compared with 0 named Riya.
Meera means the devotee Mirabai; sea, boundary (sanskrit origin), while Riya means singer; graceful (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Meera first appears in 1965 and Riya in 0, so Riya has the longer recorded history.