Arya (name)

Arya, also spelled Aarya, Aariya or Ariya (Sanskrit: आर्य/आर्या ārya/āryā; Old Persian: 𐎠𐎼𐎡𐎹 Persian: آریا ariya) is a name of Indo-Iranian origin. It traces back to the ethnonym and endonym Arya, used by the Indo-Iranians to identify themselves as "noble" or "honorable". In both Sanskrit and Avestan, Arya refers to those viewed as a part of a civilized or morally distinguished group, contrasting with non-Aryans. The term appears in ancient religious and historical texts, representing ideals of nobility and virtue. In the Indian Subcontinent, the Sanskrit name 'Arya' is used as both a surname and a given name, with the given name appearing in masculine (आर्य ārya) and feminine (आर्या āryā) forms.^[4][5][6]

The personal name Arya is derived from the Sanskrit term ārya (आर्य), which in Vedic and classical Sanskrit meant “noble”, “honourable”, or “freeman”, and is first attested in ancient Indian texts.^[7][8] The name is widely used in India and Iran, where it carries connotations of an ancient lineage of rich heritage and cultural values.

The name Arya can also be found in countries that carry significant influence by Indian culture and India from where the name originates^[7]. For instance, in Indonesia, Arya is commonly used as a masculine given name, particularly in Java and Bali. In Javanese, the name takes variations in the forms of Aryo, Ario, and Aryono. In another Indian-influenced country of Cambodia, Arya is more often given to girls. It is a common name among Hindus.