Zoya

Zoya is a female first name that appears in Slavic languages such as Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian. It represents the Cyrillic form of the biblical name Zoe, whose origin lies in ancient Greek. The word zōē (ζωή) means 'the life.' Sometimes, the name is also transcribed from Cyrillic (Зоя) as Soja.

What does the name Zoya mean?

The name Zoya, written in Cyrillic as Зоя, is the Slavic variant of the biblical name Zoe. The origin of the name can be traced back to the ancient Greek word zōē (ζωή), which means 'the life.' Zoya also has various variants, including Soe, Soey, Zoa, Zoée, Zoey, Zoi, Zoie, Zoja, Zooey, Zowie, and Zoye.

Where does the name Zoya come from?

The name Zoya has its roots in ancient Greek and means 'the life.' The composition of the Greek term zōē (ζωή) represents the concept of life. This name is common in several Slavic languages, including Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian.

How do you pronounce Zoya?

The pronunciation of the name Zoya sounds lively and consists of two syllables. In German, it is usually pronounced as 'Zo-ja' [ˈzoːja], with the long 'o' having a rounded, full sound. The gentle connection to the J sound allows the name to end harmoniously and gives it a radiant, feminine note that feels modern and soft.

When is the name day of Zoya?

The name day for Zoya is celebrated on May 2nd in honor of Saint Zoë.

Popularity

In Germany, the first name Zoya enjoys great popularity and currently ranks 1,150th among the most common female baby names. Its best placement was in 2020, when it reached 947th place. Over the last ten years, Zoya has been given as a first name about 290 times, placing it at 1,254th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 1,521st.

Nicknames & pet names

Soja / Zoe / Zoenka / Zoii / Zoika / Zoji / Zosi / Zoyka

Similar first names

Famous people

• Zoya Akhtar (Indian film director)
• Zoya Blyuvas (Russian diver)
• Zoya Douchine (former figure skater)
• Zoya Fyodorova (Russian actress)
• Zoya Khan (Indian actress)
• Zoya Krakhmalnikova (Russian writer)
• Zoya Lynch (Canadian ski jumper)
• Zoya Nazyalensky (book character from the Grishaverse novels by Leigh Bardugo)
• Zoya Pirzad (Iranian writer)
• Zoya Polunina (Russian ice hockey player)
• Zoya Rozhdestvenskaya (Russian singer)
• Zoya Schleining (chess player from Germany)