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Lia

girl name
Origin
Hmong
Syllables
1
Peak era
2010s/2020s
Today
▬ Steady

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Meaning

a traditional Hmong given name; precise etymology uncertain

The story

Lia Lee was welcomed into her name with white strings around her wrists. Anne Fadiman describes the Hmong child’s naming ceremony in a crowded living room in Merced, California, about a month after her birth. Her parents and the elders tied the strings to keep her soul close to her body, in their belief, and offered promises of love and wishes for a long life. Fadiman records Lia as the Hmong name her parents chose; its precise Hmong meaning remains uncertain. The same letters have separate histories elsewhere, including forms of Leah in Portuguese and Italian, and short forms of longer European names. Those routes sit beside the Hmong one without explaining it away. For this particular Lia, the welcome was tangible: people gathered, strings tied, a child held in their care.

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The formal names behind Lia

Lia is an established short form of this name.

Amelia · Germanic origin · variant of Germanic Amalia; amal may mean unceasing, vigorous, brave or refer to the Amali dynasty; unrelated to Emilia

Why we verify every short-form relationship →

How popular is Lia around the world?

In the United States, 7,942 babies were named Lia between 2020 and 2025. In Mexico City, there were 609 registrations of Lia in 2022.

Lia is on the official records of the United States, Mexico City, Chile, Austria, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Spain, Ireland, Canada, France, Montevideo, Scotland, Poland, South Australia, England and Wales and Brazil.

Lia crosses languages: it is in the latest top 300 of an English-speaking birth record and of a Spanish-speaking one. The full list: English and Spanish

United States

1 in 2,700

In the United States, 7,942 babies were named Lia between 2020 and 2025.

1890speak 2010s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Lia peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.

Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

See the full list for the United States →

Mexico City City

1 in 190

In Mexico City, there were 609 registrations of Lia in 2022.

2000peak 2020

share of that year’s registrations in the city

Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023 (35 registrations through 3 Mar) is excluded as partial. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023

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Chile

1 in 260

In Chile, 676 girls were registered as Lia in 2021, every accent spelling counted together, most often written Lía.

1920peak 2021

share of that year’s name registrations

First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021

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Austria

1 in 380

In Austria, 200 girls named Lia were born in 2025, the 34th most common name among girls that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.

1984peak 2023

share of that year’s births on record

Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)

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Puerto Rico

1 in 580

In Puerto Rico, 31 babies were named Lia in 2025, and 673 have carried the name since 1998.

1998peak 20182025

share of that year’s births on record

First given name only, from Social Security records of births in Puerto Rico; any name-sex-year under 5 births is withheld at source. Shares divide by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry’s count of births on the island; the 2025 count is provisional. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, territory name file (Puerto Rico)

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Argentina

1 in 850

In Argentina, 778 newborns were given the name Lia in 2024.

2012peak 2024

share of that year’s name registrations

Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024

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Spain

#41 · 2024

In Spain, 9,954 residents are named Lia, the 283rd most common name among women, with a mean age of 10.3 years.
In Spain, Lia was the 41st most common name among girls born in 2024.

Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025

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Ireland

1 in 2,500

In Ireland, 22 girls named Lia were born in 2025, the 196th most common name among girls that year.

1964peak 2021

share of that year’s name registrations

Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. This registry counts each spelling separately; the figures above are for the exact spelling Lia, and accented spellings are separate names. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names

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Canada

1 in 3,200

In Canada, 116 girls named Lia were born in 2024, the 250th most common name among girls that year.

1991peak 2017

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)

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France

1 in 3,800

In France, about 170 girls named Lia were born in 2025, the 323rd most common name among girls that year.

1900peak 2017

share of that year’s births on record

Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. This registry counts each spelling separately; the figures above are for the exact spelling Lia, and accented spellings are separate names. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)

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Montevideo City

1 in 4,900 · 2011

In Montevideo, 5 girls named Lia were born in 2011, spelling variants counted together.

1940peak 2007

share of that year’s births on record

Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial

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Scotland

1 in 5,700

In Scotland, 8 girls named Lia were registered in 2024, the 384th most common name among girls that year.

1974peak 20042024

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names

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Poland

1 in 5,700

In Poland, 43 girls named Lia were born in 2025, the 187th most common name among girls that year.

2000peak 2024

share of that year’s name registrations

First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. This registry counts each spelling separately; the figures above are for the exact spelling Lia, and accented spellings are separate names. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)

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South Australia

1 in 6,100 · 2017

In South Australia, 3 girls were registered as Lia in 2017.
The count never rose above 7 in a year, too few to chart.

Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names

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England and Wales

1 in 6,300

In England and Wales, 93 girls named Lia were born in 2025, the 434th most common name among girls that year.

peak 20022025

share of that year’s name registrations

Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales

See the full list for England and Wales →

Brazil

1 in 8,600

At the 2022 census, 23,649 people in Brazil were named Lia, the 952nd most common name, with a median age of 24.
Among people named Lia living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2010s than in any other decade.

1930speak 2010s

people alive at the 2022 census, by decade of birth

The census also counted 4,938 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart. People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022

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New Zealand

last on record 2024

Lia is not on the 2025 record for New Zealand, where names under 10 in a year are excluded at source.

2010peak 20202025

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time

See the full list for New Zealand →

Not on Norway’s list: Statistics Norway lists only first names carried by 200 or more living people, so rarer names are not shown.

All records: the most popular baby names around the world →

When you meet Lia

Most people given the name Lia in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Lia

Sophie Natalie Giselle Ana Mai Greta

Keep exploring

Names like Lia · Hmong baby names · Short names · Nickname-proof names

Name trails: explore connections from Lia →

The Lia deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Lia truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Lia fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

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