Mia
Mia was the 6th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 11,078 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 5th; the most babies were born in 2015 (14,943). Over the last ten years it has moved unchanged. More babies were named Mia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Maria · German, Dutch, Scandinavian
Say it MEE-uh /ˈmiə/
- Rank in 2025
- #6 girls, up 2 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 11,078girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 201514,943 babies
- Total since 1880
- 310,610babies recorded
What does the name Mia mean?
Mia began as a short pet form of Maria in German, Dutch and the Scandinavian languages. Wikipedia notes it was also used for other names such as Amelia and Emilia. It was rarely given as a full name before the 20th century. For its English 'MEE-ah' sound, Wikipedia points to the Italian word mia ('my') in popular song titles such as 'Cara Mia'.
Maria (Latin, “the name Mary (meaning of the Hebrew original is uncertain)”)
How sure is this? Well established. Mia itself is clear (a pet form of Maria). The deeper meaning of Mary/Miriam is debated, so it is not given as Mia's meaning.
See also: Hebrew names.
Mia popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 391 since 1978, 9 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6 | 11,078 |
| 2020 | #8 | 11,269 |
| 2010 | #10 | 10,650 |
| 2000 | #93 | 3,451 |
| 1990 | #341 | 782 |
| 1980 | #347 | 683 |
| 1970 | #450 | 488 |
| 1960 | #1,551 | 52 |
| 1950 | #2,229 | 20 |
| 1940 | #4,831 | 5 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Mia, counting every spelling?
Mia is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #8 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #6 for Mia on its own. Together these spellings went to 11,230 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mia | 11,078 | #6 | 56,885 |
| Miah | 144 | #1,490 | 1,060 |
| Miia | 8 | #11,591 | 55 |
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 Mia?
11,078 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Mia (3.07 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Mia born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 18. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.3 children named Mia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Mia?
About 306,800 people born in the US named Mia are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 7 and 20. That makes Mia 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.
Mia by state
How common Mia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (2.2×), New Mexico (2.1×), Hawaii (2.0×), Rhode Island (1.9×), Nevada (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, West Virginia, Alabama.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Mia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Mia, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Mia · Sibling names for Mia
Mia is also a nickname for Amelia and Maria.
Questions about the name Mia
What does Mia mean?
Mia means “pet form of Maria” (German, Dutch, Scandinavian origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Mia?
Mia was the 6th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 11,078 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 5th; the most babies were born in 2015 (14,943). Over the last ten years it has moved unchanged. More babies were named Mia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Mia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Mia in the US.
Where is Mia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Mia was most common in Delaware (15.34 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Mexico and Hawaii.