Alia
Alia was the 587th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 499 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 550th with 555 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 25 places. More babies were named Alia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning high, exalted (Arabic) · Arabic
Say it AH-lee-uh /ˈɑliə/
- Rank in 2025
- #587 girls, down 10 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 499girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2019555 babies
- Total since 1880
- 14,028babies recorded
What does the name Alia mean?
Alia is borrowed from Arabic ʿĀliya, the feminine form of ʿAlī, high or exalted. Wiktionary derives Ali from the Arabic root ʿ-l-y, to be high; the masculine form is famous through the caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, whom Shia Muslims regard as Muhammad's first rightful successor. The American name Aaliyah, made famous by the singer Aaliyah Haughton (1979 to 2001), is another spelling of the same Arabic word.
عَالِيَة (Arabic, “high, exalted (feminine)”)ع ل ي (Arabic, “root: be high”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary only. Other origins for some bearers (e.g. a short form of other names) are possible but undocumented here.
Related names: Aliya, Aaliyah, Aliyah, Ali, Alya.
See also: Arabic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alia' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ali' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Aaliyah' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Alia popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #587 | 499 |
| 2020 | #577 | 510 |
| 2010 | #729 | 384 |
| 2000 | #730 | 318 |
| 1990 | #1,131 | 153 |
| 1980 | #1,206 | 109 |
| 1970 | #3,875 | 15 |
| 1960 | #6,396 | 5 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alia, counting every spelling?
Alia is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #445 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #587 for Alia on its own. Together these spellings went to 732 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alia | 499 | #587 | 2,602 |
| Aliah | 193 | #1,192 | 1,023 |
| Aalia | 19 | #6,116 | 119 |
| Aaliah | 9 | #10,108 | 79 |
| Alliah | 7 | #12,000 | 70 |
| Allia | 5 | #15,057 | 30 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Alia?
499 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alia (0.14 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Alia born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 17 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alia?
About 13,800 people born in the US named Alia are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 7 and 27. That makes Alia mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Alia by state
How common Alia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (2.0×), New York (1.9×), California (1.8×), Nevada (1.8×), Arizona (1.7×). In 17 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alia, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Alia · Sibling names for Alia
Questions about the name Alia
What does Alia mean?
Alia means “high, exalted (Arabic)” (Arabic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Alia?
Alia was the 587th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 499 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 550th with 555 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 25 places. More babies were named Alia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Alia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Alia in the US.
Where is Alia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alia was most common in Hawaii (0.79 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Jersey and New York.