Zia
93% girls · 7% boys
About Zia
A succinct variation of Ziya, Zia is an Arabic boy name, with a glowing meaning, also used as the Urdu and Bengali transcription. Notable bearers of the name include Bangaledeshi politician Ziaur Rahman (also known as Zia-ur-Rahman), scholar Zia Uddin, and former president of Pakistan, Zia-ul-Haq.
Zia for boys#7673 US
Zia (said as ZEE-uh) also appears in the Bible, borne by a minor character and a descendant of Gad, the founder of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. In this context, it may mean "trembling, shaking".
Zia for girls#1477 US
A short and zippy name that would blend right in with but also stand out among a group of girls named Mia, Gia, Lia and Tia. It is a multicultural choice, used in Hungary as a short from of Terézia, or sometimes Ambrozia, and as a Romansh and Portuguese nickname for Luzia or similar.
The name is also associated with the Zia people of Papua New Guinea, and with the Zia people of New Mexico, in turn connecting the name to the Zia sun symbol. Among Arabic, Turkish, Urdu, and Bengali speakers, Zia is a (predominantly) masculine name, meaning "splendor" or "shine", while in a Hebrew context, it is an Old Testament name, borne by one of the sons of Gad.
Some use of Zia as a feminine name however may also simply come down to the appeal of the Z initial and the rhyme with other popular, nickname-y choices, which may be why it has risen in the US in recent years. Given to nearly 200 babies in the latest count, the name is notably borne by musician Zia McCabe and basketball player Zia Cooke, and actress Zia Grace.
One caveat though: in an Italian-American family it would be strange to have a baby named Aunt.
Pronounced ZEE-ah.
As of November 2026, Zia ranked #7673 for boys and #1477 for girls in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #4699 for boys in 2022 and #1195 for girls in 2024, Nameberry popularity #787 for girls.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | #1,727 | 122 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | #1,653 | 130 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | #1,565 | 143 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | #1,769 | 119 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | #1,539 | 142 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | #1,226 | 192 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | #1,360 | 161 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | #1,425 | 152 |
| 2022 | #4,699 | 22 | #1,307 | 181 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | #1,261 | 183 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | #1,195 | 198 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | #1,477 | 146 |
World rankings
Zia for girls
Similar names
These 40 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Zia.
Similar boy names
Similar girl names
Zia on lists
Famous Zias
- Anastasia "Zia" de TorbyGirl
Lady Wernher, Russian noblewoman
- Zia McCabe (born Aimee Springer)Girl
American musician of band The Dandy Warhols
- ZiaGirl
stage name of Park Ji Hye, South Korean pop singer
Zia in pop culture
- Has been used as a first name in Britain since the sixtiesBoy
but is likely to be mistaken for a girl's name
- ZiaBoy
central character in the indie black comedy "Wristcutters: A Love Story" (2006), which was based on a short story by Israeli writer Etgar Keret
- ZiaGirl
a main character in the 1941 movie "Sundown," played by Gene Tierney
- Romansh language of SwitzerlandGirl
a short form of Luzia
- Zia sunGirl
symbol featured on the New Mexico state flag
- Zia RashidGirl
character in "The Kane Chronicles" by Rick Riordan
- Zia SimpsonGirl
Lisa Simpson's daughter from "The Simpsons"
- ZiaGirl
nickname for Jadzia