The first name Zia
A unisex name from Arabic meaning “light”.
Pronounced /ˈzi.ə/ 2 syllables Unisex Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Arabic origin
Zia means “light” in Arabic.
Borrowed from Arabic ضِيَاء (ḍiyāʔ, “light”) via Spanish.
More names that mean light.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 30 girls were named Zia, making it the 1,110th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2023, with 35 births (#981).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Zia with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Zia at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 146 girls born in the United States were named Zia, the 1,477th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2024, when 200 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
More Arabic unisex names
Questions
- What does the name Zia mean?
- Zia means “light” in Arabic.
- What is the origin of the name Zia?
- Borrowed from Arabic ضِيَاء (ḍiyāʔ, “light”) via Spanish.
- How popular is the name Zia?
- In 2025, 30 girls born in England and Wales were named Zia, ranking 1,110th. Its peak was 2023, with 35 births.
- Is Zia a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 3,550 US babies named Zia since 1880, 91% were girls and 9% boys.
- When was Zia most popular?
- 2024 in the United States, when 200 babies were named Zia, its highest rank at 1,192nd.
- How do you pronounce Zia?
- Zia is /ˈzi.ə/, 2 syllables.
- Is Zia also a surname?
- Yes. Zia is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.