Zoya means “life”. It comes from European. It is documented as a girl's name in Uyghur and Kazakh.
- Zoya is a name of European origin.
- It is recorded for Uyghur and Kazakh.
- 1 syllable (counted from the spelling) and 4 letters.
What does Zoya mean?
Literal meaning
Zoya is a girl's name used in Kazakh. It means “life”. Its elements are Greek in origin.
Meaning themes: Life and soul
Zoya in Uyghur and Kazakh
What does Zoya mean in Uyghur?
In Uyghur the name is written زويا, Zoya (ULY transliteration), Zoyagül and زوياگۈل. No separate Uyghur gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “life” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.[1]
What does Zoya mean in Kazakh?
In Kazakh the name is written Зоя and Zoya (common romanization). No separate Kazakh gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “life” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.[2]
Where does the name Zoya come from?
European, borrowing. The Dictionary of Uyghur Names gives the origin as European.[1]✓ Documented
Which languages use the name Zoya?
Zoya is used as a given name in Uyghur and Kazakh. Its origin is European. The table shows for each language whether the use is documented by a cited source or comes from our editorial research.
Zoya across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uyghur | زوياArabic script ZoyagülLatin, variant زوياگۈلArabic script, variant | Girl | same as above: “life” | Documented[1] |
| Kazakh | ЗояCyrillic | Girl | same as above: “life” | Documented[2] |
Similar spellings in different languages do not prove a shared origin: two languages can arrive at the same sound from different words. The origin section above states what the sources say.
Spelling variations of Zoya
Forms are shown as recorded, in their original script. Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled with their system and are not presented as attested spellings.
| Form | Language | Script | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoya[2] | Latin spelling | Latin | Romanization (KazPER English romanization) |
| Зоя[2] | Russian-language spelling | Cyrillic | Variant |
| زويا[1] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Native spelling |
| Zoya[1] | Uyghur | Latin | Romanization (ULY transliteration) |
| Zoyagül[1] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| زوياگۈل[1] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| Зоя[2] | Kazakh | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Zoya | Kazakh | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
Names related to Zoya
Sibling names for Zoya
Names recorded for the same languages that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with Zoya rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- SemirullaBoy“one granted a comfortable life by God”same language (uyghur) · also shares the theme life and soul
- YryszhanBoy“soul of fortune”same language (kazakh) · also shares the theme life and soul
- GülihayatGirl“flower of life”same language (uyghur) · also shares the theme life and soul
- AyshemxanGirl“good life; enduring; a woman like Aisha”same language (uyghur) · also shares the theme life and soul
- AruzhanGirl“charming, lovely + soul”same language (kazakh) · also shares the theme life and soul
- MeiirzhanGirl“kind soul”same language (kazakh) · also shares the theme life and soul
- AizhanGirl“moon soul, dear as the moon”same language (kazakh) · also shares the theme life and soul
- SemirdinBoy“one granted a comfortable life by the faith”same language (uyghur) · also shares the theme life and soul
Common questions about Zoya
What does the name Zoya mean?
Zoya means “life”. It comes from European. It is documented as a girl's name in Uyghur and Kazakh.
Is Zoya a girl's or a boy's name?
Zoya is recorded as a girl's name. By language: Uyghur: girls; Kazakh: girls.
Where does Zoya come from?
Zoya is of European origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Zoya?
Zoya is recorded for Uyghur and Kazakh. The table shows each language's spelling, gender and evidence label, and a language is listed only when our data records the name for it.
How is Zoya spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: Зоя (Cyrillic), زويا (Arabic script), Zoyagül (Latin), زوياگۈل (Arabic script). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does Zoya have?
Zoya has 1 syllable by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 4 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by a fixed template filled with our editorial data; source texts are not copied.
- Uyghur Language. Dictionary of Uyghur Names. Uyghur Language (GitHub: uyghur-language/names), revision 075ed994f116b4b9e06c7d013b4fb880db679883. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: MIT License.
Supports: listed as a Uyghur given name (feminine); origin: European; spelling زويا; spelling Zoya (+2 more)
- Rustem Yeshpanov. KazPER Kazakh person-name list. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
Supports: listed as a kazakh given name (feminine) in KazPER Kazakh person-name list; spelling Zoya recorded in KazPER Kazakh person-name list; spelling Зоя recorded in KazPER Kazakh person-name list; spelling Зоя (kazakh) recorded in KazPER Kazakh person-name list
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