What does Roya mean?
Roya means “dream” or “vision” in Persian.
What does Soraya mean?
Soraya names the Pleiades star cluster in Persian.
Roya vs Soraya
Which is more popular?
Soraya is more popular than Roya today: about 313 US babies were given the name Soraya in 2025, compared with 76 named Roya.
| Roya | Soraya | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Dream, vision | The Pleiades |
| Origin | Persian | Persian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ROH-yah | soh-RY-ah |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1955 | 1955 |
| Peak year | 2025 (76) | 2025 (313) |
| In 2025 | 76 | 313 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Roya
Soraya
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Roya | Soraya |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 343 | 1,517 |
| 2010s | 392 | 1,963 |
| 2000s | 219 | 1,580 |
| 1990s | 275 | 629 |
| 1980s | 234 | 422 |
| 1970s | 99 | 313 |
| 1960s | 42 | 326 |
| 1950s | 19 | 61 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Roya or Soraya more popular?
Soraya is more popular than Roya today: about 313 US babies were given the name Soraya in 2025, compared with 76 named Roya.
What is the difference between Roya and Soraya?
Roya means Dream, vision (Persian origin), while Soraya means The Pleiades (Persian origin).
Which name is older, Roya or Soraya?
In US records, Roya first appears in 1955 and Soraya in 1955, so Roya has the longer recorded history.