Tomoya is a name of Japanese origin, derived from the combination of two kanji characters: "Tomo" which means "friend" or "companion," and "Ya" which signifies "eight." Therefore, Tomoya can be translated to mean "eighth companion."
The name Tomoya gained popularity in Japan during the mid-20th century but has since become quite common. It is often used for boys born under the astrological sign of Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21), as this period falls around the eighth month of the traditional Japanese lunar calendar.
Historically, Tomoya was notably used by the Japanese author Kenzaburo Oe in his 1985 novel "Nippon no Ichiu" (One Piece of Clothing). In the story, Tomoya is the main character and a victim of the atomic bombing at Hiroshima. This fictional use may have contributed to the name's increased popularity during that time.
In recent years, Tomoya has gained international recognition due to its appearance in popular culture, such as anime series like "Clannad" (2007) and video games like "Tales of Vesperia" (2008), where it is used as a character name. However, despite these appearances, the name remains strongly associated with Japanese culture and heritage.
The name Tomoya has been a consistent yet not extremely popular choice among parents in the United States over the past few decades. From 1989 to 2016, there have been a total of 74 babies named Tomoya, with birth years ranging from 1989 to 2016.
The peak years for naming a child Tomoya were 1992 and 1998, with 10 and 11 births respectively. Interestingly, these peaks occurred more than a decade apart, indicating that the name's popularity has fluctuated over time rather than being consistently high or low throughout this period.
The most recent years for which data is available (2007 to 2016) show a slight increase in the number of babies named Tomoya compared to the earlier years. From 2007 to 2010, there were 5 births each year, followed by an increase to 6 births in both 2010 and 2016.
While not one of the most popular names, Tomoya has been a steadily chosen name among parents in the United States over these years. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues or changes in future years.