Niah
Niah was the 5353rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 24 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 2377th with 77 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,772 places. More babies were named Niah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Nia) several origins (Swahili 'purpose'; short for Antonia) · Swahili, Arabic, Latin
- Rank in 2025
- #5,353 girls, down 2,541 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 24girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 201377 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,741babies recorded
What does the name Niah mean?
Niah is a spelling of Nia, pronounced the same way, so it shares Nia's meaning and origin.
Nia has more than one source. In Swahili, nia means intention or purpose, from Arabic niyya, and Wiktionary records Nia as a Swahili girls' name from that word. Wiktionary also lists English Nia as a short form of Antonia, which DMNES explains as the feminine of Anthony. A Welsh name Nia is also known, but our sources do not document it. In the US Nia has been used since the 1950s.
nia (Swahili, “intention, purpose”)نِيَّة (Arabic, “intention”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several independent sources; which applies depends on the family.
Related names: Antonia, Niah, Nya.
See also: African names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Nia' (Swahili section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Nia' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Antonia', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Niah popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,353 | 24 |
| 2020 | #2,812 | 59 |
| 2010 | #2,747 | 65 |
| 2000 | #3,108 | 45 |
| 1990 | #9,881 | 8 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Niah, counting every spelling?
Niah is a spelling of Nia, a name family that ranked #666 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5,353 for Niah on its own. Together these spellings went to 427 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nia | 403 | #702 | 2,314 |
| Niah | 24 | #5,353 | 226 |
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 Niah?
24 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Niah (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Niah 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 347 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Niah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Niah?
About 1,700 people born in the US named Niah are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 9 and 23. That makes Niah 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.
Niah by state
How common Niah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.5×). In 47 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 Niah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Niah, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Niah
What does Niah mean?
Niah is a spelling of Nia, usually explained as “several origins (Swahili 'purpose'; short for Antonia)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Niah?
Niah was the 5353rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 24 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 2377th with 77 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,772 places. More babies were named Niah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Niah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Niah in the US.
Where is Niah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Niah was most common in Florida (0.04 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Texas.