Girl · Greek (via Russian) · Muslim · International

Zoya

زویا

Say it ZOY-a

Meaning today: Alive, loving
Original meaning: "life" Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, Strong's G2222
Say it: ZOY-a
Written: زویا
Other spellings: Zoyaa, Zoeya

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Zoya

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Zoya meaning

Zoya (زویا) is a Muslim and international girl's name of Greek origin (via Russian).

Life

Also used to mean: alive, loving

Zoya (زویا) is the Russian form of the Greek name Zoe, from the Greek noun zōē, "life", the word the New Testament uses for life (Strong's G2222). It is a name in Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Bulgarian. In India and Pakistan it is used by Muslim families, and name lists there often label it Arabic or Persian with meanings such as "alive" or "loving". We found no such word in Steingass or Lane, so those are meanings families use today rather than dictionary senses. The Greek "life" is the conventional etymology, though it is not established that every Indian use comes from it. A well-known bearer is the film director Zoya Akhtar, maker of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) and Gully Boy (2019).

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), Strong's G2222 · entry ζωή zōē · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Strong's Concordance G2222, zōē · Wikipedia, Zoya · Wikipedia, Zoya Akhtar