Girl · Hebrew; Arabic · International
Raya
RayaSay it RYE-uh
- Meaning today
- Friend, beloved
- Original meaning
- "companion, beloved (Hebrew ra'yah); also banner (Arabic rāyah)" Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, H7474
- Say it
- RYE-uh
- Other spellings
- Rayah, Raia
Raya
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Raya meaning
Raya is an international girl's name.
Companion, beloved (Hebrew ra'yah); also banner (Arabic rāyah)
Also used to mean: friend
Raya has more than one root. In Hebrew, ra'yah is a female companion or friend; Strong's Concordance notes that in the Song of Songs it is the word the bridegroom uses for his bride, translated "my love" or "my darling". In Arabic, rāyah is the banner or standard of an army, as Lane's Lexicon records, and Arabic-speaking families also use the name. In Bulgarian and Russian it is a pet form of Rayna and Raisa, and in Malay raya means great or festive. Name lists usually give "friend". It became better known through Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon (2021). It is said RYE-uh or RAY-uh.
Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, H7474 · entry ra'yah · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Strong's H7474, ra'yah (Bible Hub) · Lane, رَايَةٌ (laneslexicon.com)
Famous namesakes
- Raya, heroine of Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon
Popularity abroad
- #369 United States, girls 2025 (down 4 from 365 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #82 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Raya · Rayah · Raia