Zia

Zia for girls#1477 US

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.

Zia for boys#7673 US

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 (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".