Nia
Welsh form of the Irish Niamh, meaning brightness or radiance. A separate Nia comes from Swahili, where it means purpose and names a day of Kwanzaa.
Nia in 2025
Nia was given to 403 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,369th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 8,227 babies born.
The history of Nia
Nia reached its highest point in 2000, when 1,033 babies were given the name, ranking 600th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 597th, in 2001.
Across the 75 years of records since 1951, 25,432 babies have been named Nia. Half of them were born before 2005, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Nia by decade
| Decade | Babies named Nia | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 19 | 7,588 |
| 1960s | 85 | 4,297 |
| 1970s | 788 | 1,192 |
| 1980s | 1,203 | 1,600 |
| 1990s | 5,288 | 636 |
| 2000s | 8,571 | 597 |
| 2010s | 6,546 | 861 |
| 2020s | 2,932 | 975 |
Where Nia is heading
Nia has fallen 44% over the past decade, from 718 babies in 2015 to 403 in 2025.
Names like Nia
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Nia.