The meaning of my name

Aya Hoja or Hoja Aya?

I prefer to go by Hoja Aya for a few reasons.

In European and European-influenced cultures, the surname is placed after the given name, however, I find there is a harmony and also respect when the last name is vocalized first.

Additionally, I prefer to go by Hoja Aya for its representation and translation in other languages.

In Turkish, "Hoja" means teacher and in Farsi, the word "Hodja" is used to refer to those who have wisdom as well as knowledge.

In Arabic, Aya means "wonderful", "amazing", "miracle" or "verse". In Hebrew, Aya means "to fly swiftly" or "bird" and in Japanese, Aya means "design", "colorful", and "beautiful".

Hoja Aya is filled with many rich meanings across a multitude of languages and cultures, and even though there's a myriad of meanings, they all represent me as a person. I have always considered myself a teacher and I have always tried to lead by example. The people who meet me always gain something from the experience- whether it's a smile, life talk, a laugh, a new perspective, soul cry or a fulfilling conversation.

How to pronounce Hoja Aya: [Ho-dja] [Eye-ah] (Think Arya from Game of Thrones).

The one and only,

Hoja Aya