From Hebrew, Hodaya means thanks or praise to God.
Hodaya is a Hebrew name of genuine biblical antiquity, built from two of the most theologically charged roots in the Hebrew language: "hod" (הוֹד), meaning splendor, majesty, or glory, and "Yah" (יָהּ), the abbreviated divine name. Together they yield something close to "thanks be to God" or "glory of the Lord" — a name that is simultaneously a declaration of faith and a description of divine magnificence. Variants of the name appear in the Hebrew Bible; Hodaviah (an extended form) occurs in Chronicles and Ezra as the name of several Levites and gatekeepers, men whose entire professional lives were organized around praise and worship.
In modern Israeli Hebrew, Hodaya (הוֹדַיָה) is used almost exclusively for girls and carries a warm, lyrical quality. It is distinct from the more common Hodayah or Todah ("thanks"), having a formal grandeur that makes it feel both ancient and alive. In Mizrahi and Sephardic Jewish communities particularly — those with roots in Iraq, Morocco, Yemen, and Persia — Hodaya has remained in continuous use, passed through generations as a way of naming daughters after the imperishable quality of gratitude.
In diaspora Jewish communities and among Israeli families settling abroad, Hodaya travels well: its pronunciation is musical, its meaning instantly understood by Hebrew speakers, and its distinctiveness appealing to parents who want a name rooted in something ancient rather than fashionable. To name a child Hodaya is to begin her life with an act of thanksgiving.