Lia
Lia was the 200th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,526 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 188th with 1,610 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 130 places. More babies were named Lia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Leah) Origin uncertain · Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #200 girls, up 91 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,526girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20241,610 babies
- Total since 1880
- 28,516babies recorded
What does the name Lia mean?
Lia is a spelling of Leah, pronounced the same way, so it shares Leah's meaning and origin.
Leah is the Hebrew name of Jacob's first wife, the elder sister of Rachel and mother of six of the tribes of Israel. DMNES calls the name's origin uncertain. Wiktionary's Hebrew entry links it to an old Semitic word for 'cow', citing related words in Akkadian (lītum, 'cow') and Arabic ('wild cow'), but this remains a scholarly proposal. Popular books also give 'weary', but we found no dictionary support for that. DMNES notes that, like many Old Testament names, it came into use with the Protestants, and it should not be confused with the unrelated medieval name Lea.
לֵאָה (Biblical Hebrew, “Le'ah”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Origin uncertain per DMNES; Wiktionary's Hebrew entry supports a Semitic word for 'cow'.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'weary'.
Related names: Lea, Leia, Lia, Léa.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Leah', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 29:16, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Leah', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'לאה', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Lia popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 15 since 1991.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #200 | 1,526 |
| 2020 | #291 | 1,098 |
| 2010 | #356 | 892 |
| 2000 | #764 | 300 |
| 1990 | #953 | 198 |
| 1980 | #1,061 | 134 |
| 1970 | #1,097 | 108 |
| 1960 | #1,712 | 44 |
| 1950 | #2,979 | 13 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Lia, counting every spelling?
Lia is a spelling of Leah, a name family that ranked #42 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #200 for Lia on its own. Together these spellings went to 5,418 girls in 2025.
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 Lia?
1,526 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lia (0.42 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lia 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 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lia?
About 28,000 people born in the US named Lia are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 6 and 22. That makes Lia a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Lia by state
How common Lia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.6×), New Mexico (2.3×), Connecticut (2.1×), New Jersey (2.0×), Nevada (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Idaho, Ohio, Missouri.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lia, they share its era and feel.
Lia is also a nickname for Amelia, Eliana and Liliana.
Questions about the name Lia
What does Lia mean?
The origin of Leah is uncertain: Origin uncertain per DMNES; Wiktionary's Hebrew entry supports a Semitic word for 'cow'.
How popular is the name Lia?
Lia was the 200th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,526 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 188th with 1,610 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 130 places. More babies were named Lia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Lia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Lia in the US.
Where is Lia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lia was most common in District of Columbia (2.19 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Mexico and Connecticut.