This is the 8152nd most frequent Japanese word.
尚也
"尚也" (Naoya) is a Japanese given name meaning "esteem" or "still/yet" (尚) and "to be/also" (也).
In this sentence, '尚也' is used as a proper noun, referring to the person's name.
尚也は学校のプロジェクトで優秀なリーダーでした。
Naoya was an excellent leader in the school project.
Here, '尚也' is explicitly identified as a personal name for someone's friend.
彼には尚也と言う名前の親友がいます。
He has a best friend named Naoya.
In this context, '尚也' is referenced as a common male given name in Japan.