| Priya | Ananya | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Beloved, dear | unique, matchless |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | PREE-yah | uh-NUN-yah |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1969 | 1995 |
| Peak year | 2014 (211) | 2008 (214) |
| In 2025 | 99 | 52 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Priya | Ananya |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 700 | 538 |
| 2010s | 1,650 | 1,679 |
| 2000s | 1,745 | 1,652 |
| 1990s | 1,342 | 141 |
| 1980s | 809 | 0 |
| 1970s | 308 | 0 |
| 1960s | 8 | 0 |
From the Sanskrit priya (priyā) meaning 'beloved, dear, cherished'. A well-established Indic 'beloved' root, also the basis of Priyanka.
From Sanskrit ananya (अनन्य), 'without another, unique, matchless'; also 'undivided' in the sense of single-minded devotion. Well established.
Priya is more popular than Ananya today: about 99 US babies were given the name Priya in 2025, compared with 52 named Ananya.
Priya means Beloved, dear (sanskrit origin), while Ananya means unique, matchless (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Priya first appears in 1969 and Ananya in 1995, so Priya has the longer recorded history.