Ria
Ria was the 2346th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 78 babies. Its best year was 2005, when it ranked 1150th with 202 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 114 places. More babies were named Ria in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Rhea) Greek Titaness (origin disputed) · Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #2,346 girls, down 109 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 78girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2005202 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,115babies recorded
What does the name Ria mean?
Ria is a spelling of Rhea, pronounced the same way, so it shares Rhea's meaning and origin.
Rhea is the Titaness of Greek myth, daughter of Uranus and Gaia and mother of Zeus, Hera and other Olympian gods. Wiktionary calls the origin of the Greek name disputed: suggestions connect it with a word for earth, with rheō, to flow, or with a pre-Greek source. Wiktionary notes that a moon of Saturn has carried the name since John Herschel proposed it in 1847. As an English given name it has been in occasional use since the 19th century.
Ῥέα (Ancient Greek, “Rhea”)ῥέω (Ancient Greek, “to flow (one proposal)”)
How sure is this? Disputed. Wiktionary lists several proposals (earth, 'to flow', pre-Greek) without choosing.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'flowing stream'. This is one proposal among several..
Related names: Rea, Ria, Reah.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Rhea' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ῥέα' (Ancient Greek section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Ria popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,346 | 78 |
| 2020 | #2,237 | 81 |
| 2010 | #1,842 | 111 |
| 2000 | #1,964 | 86 |
| 1990 | #4,199 | 24 |
| 1980 | #2,982 | 30 |
| 1970 | #3,542 | 18 |
| 1960 | #4,112 | 11 |
| 1950 | #4,240 | 8 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ria, counting every spelling?
Ria is a spelling of Rhea, a name family that ranked #564 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,346 for Ria on its own. Together these spellings went to 530 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhea | 452 | #639 | 2,501 |
| Ria | 78 | #2,346 | 398 |
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 Ria?
78 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ria (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ria 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 108 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ria.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ria?
About 4,000 people born in the US named Ria are alive today, with a median age of 20; half are between 12 and 27. That makes Ria 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.
Ria by state
How common Ria was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (2.5×), California (1.9×). In 41 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 Ria: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ria, they share its era and feel.
Ria is also a nickname for Maria.
Questions about the name Ria
What does Ria mean?
Ria is a spelling of Rhea, usually explained as “Greek Titaness (origin disputed)”, but this is disputed. Certainty: disputed.
How popular is the name Ria?
Ria was the 2346th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 78 babies. Its best year was 2005, when it ranked 1150th with 202 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 114 places. More babies were named Ria in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Ria a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ria in the US.
Where is Ria most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ria was most common in New Jersey (0.12 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Illinois.