Priya

What does Priya mean?

Priya means ‘dear’ or ‘beloved’, from the Sanskrit adjective priya. The feminine name priyā has a long final vowel, distinguishing it from the underlying dictionary form. The affectionate meaning is directly supported by the adjective and does not depend on a separate cultural or religious interpretation.

Source: Wiktionary, प्रिय. How we use sources.

Spelling and pronunciation

प्रिया is Priya, with a long final aa. The dictionary adjective प्रिय has a shorter ending, although both forms appear as priya in plain Roman letters. That difference matters when listening to a dictionary pronunciation: an example for the adjective does not give the feminine name's full ending.