Priya

Priya comes from the Sanskrit 'priyā', meaning 'beloved', 'dear', or 'cherished one'. The feminine form of 'priya', it is one of the most classically elegant names in Indian tradition, expressing the idea that the child is deeply loved. The word appears throughout Sanskrit literature as a term of endearment and as an epithet of the goddess Lakshmi. Priya is consistently one of the top female names across South India, Maharashtra, and the North Indian diaspora.