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Zia as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Zia

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The baby name Zia is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈziːə/ (ZEE-uh).

Zia is Arabic, Persian in Origin.

Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Arabic, Persian
Pronunciation: /ˈziːə/ (ZEE-uh)

What is the meaning of the name Zia ?

The baby name Zia is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈziːə/ (ZEE-uh).

Zia is Arabic, Persian in Origin.

Zia is a cross-cultural given name whose core origin is Arabic Diya' (often transliterated Diya or Ziya), meaning light, radiance, or splendor. Through Persian and Ottoman Turkish it became Ziya, and it remains familiar across the Muslim world, from the Middle East to South Asia; in English-speaking countries it is used as a unisex choice. In Italian, zia means "aunt," and Zia sometimes functions as an affectionate nickname from names like Grazia or Letizia, though it is not a traditional given name there.

Medieval honorifics such as Zia al-Din/Ziauddin ("light of the faith") were borne by scholars and statesmen, and figures include Zia-ul-Haq and Ziaur Rahman, reinforcing the name's prestige. Variants and related forms include Ziya (Turkish/Arabic), Dhia/Dhiya, and Bosnian Zija; Ziyad is a separate name. In South Asia, the homophone Diya derives from Sanskrit dipa 'lamp,' parallel in meaning but unrelated etymologically. Nicknames range from Zi to Zizi.

Zia has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Zia

Zia Mohyeddin Actor · Born 1931 · United Kingdom Zia Mohyeddin was a distinguished actor and director known for his work in the United Kingdom. He gained fame for his role in the film 'Lawrence of Arabia' and also made significant contributions to theater and television. His deep voice and commanding presence left a lasting impact on audiences.

Zia – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 874
MV Girls 0 #34 2 2,021
MO 0 #51 2 2,706
AF 0 #56 21 1,883
AF Boys 0 #68 344 3,535
IN 0 #71 1 2,963
MV Boys 0 #74 6 3,375
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
AF Girls 0 #89 6 2,402
QA 0 #101 6 7,011
TW 0 #102 2 4,523
PH 0 #105 6 5,607
GE Boys 0 #110 1 2,055
BN Girls 0 #111 4 5,459
HU 0 #114 2 1,675
OM 0 #114 8 6,215
KW 0 #118 4 5,216
AZ Boys 0 #131 1 1,400
Switzerland Girls 2024 #133 3 1,786
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
MU 0 #135 3 3,613
BN Boys 0 #136 4 6,332
AE 0 #149 29 10,220
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
BD 0 #154 75 5,992
Sweden Girls 2022 #178 2 1,568
BD Boys 0 #188 695 10,045
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
Belgium Girls 2010 #195 21 399
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
BG Boys 0 #219 2 3,850
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
HU Girls 0 #223 3 3,308
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
NA Girls 0 #229 9 7,146
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
Canada Girls 2024 #235 51 2,795
SA 0 #239 57 10,560
JP Girls 0 #248 4 6,592
GR Girls 0 #249 1 6,293
PT 0 #249 2 4,161
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
TW Boys 0 #255 2 7,111
MO Girls 0 #256 8 7,056
EC Girls 0 #258 1 3,650
GR Boys 0 #266 8 6,912
SG 0 #280 3 11,010
AE Boys 0 #282 1,667 22,615
TW Girls 0 #283 7 8,139
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
SA Boys 0 #293 4,709 28,008
QA Girls 0 #294 23 15,378
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
PH Girls 0 #296 96 13,098
JP Boys 0 #297 7 7,909
AL Boys 0 #298 6 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
DK Boys 0 #306 20 7,401
Canada Boys 2010 #311 8 2,386
MU Girls 0 #321 31 8,539
CN Boys 0 #324 8 9,639
DK Girls 0 #324 6 7,429
OM Boys 0 #328 808 17,948
KZ Girls 0 #330 3 5,862
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
OM Girls 0 #339 58 15,987
PL Boys 0 #339 2 6,459
MU Boys 0 #347 11 8,477
MY 0 #349 6 12,352
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
BD Girls 0 #357 30 8,413
HK 0 #357 1 8,483
SD Girls 0 #357 2 7,678
CN Girls 0 #358 2 8,829
YE 0 #360 22 8,639
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
PL Girls 0 #363 2 5,096
BH 0 #365 190 17,937
PT Boys 0 #376 6 7,951
France Girls 2021 #385 21 3,185
JO Boys 0 #386 4 7,057
Finland Boys 0 #388 40 2,041
PH Boys 0 #402 7 11,440
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
Austria Boys 0 #412 31 2,180
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
IR Boys 0 #419 138 10,162
SD Boys 0 #433 13 10,523
ZA 0 #437 11 14,421
KW Girls 0 #439 77 19,177
QA Boys 0 #444 272 18,093
AE Girls 0 #466 88 20,968
KW Boys 0 #470 315 18,755
PT Girls 0 #470 2 7,952
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
IQ Girls 0 #518 8 11,303
LY 0 #521 15 12,703
RU Girls 0 #522 2 11,913
RU Boys 0 #523 4 12,621
IR Girls 0 #538 8 8,334
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
HK Boys 0 #549 9 12,905
CM Girls 0 #552 9 11,671
PS Boys 0 #560 2 10,655
SG Girls 0 #561 26 18,916
CR Girls 0 #572 2 11,342
CM Boys 0 #574 2 12,054
IQ Boys 0 #582 86 13,071
HK Girls 0 #593 23 16,104
IT 0 #611 104 4,183
IN Girls 0 #613 19 13,121
SG Boys 0 #615 83 17,960
IL Boys 0 #624 2 10,983
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
IL Girls 0 #642 4 11,648
IT Girls 0 #646 1,211 9,415
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
SA Girls 0 #674 262 25,931
Finland Boys 2026 #676 7 3,552
LB 0 #684 7 13,263
CL Boys 0 #697 4 13,390
SY 0 #711 18 11,684
United States Girls 2024 #719 198 8,487
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
TN 0 #810 20 13,765
Germany Girls 0 #829 10 4,949
MY Girls 0 #842 153 24,821
EG Boys 0 #854 33 15,035
United States Boys 2024 #880 13 7,044
Spain Boys 0 #883 48 5,610
Germany Boys 0 #893 60 5,697
NL Boys 0 #898 54 5,873
PE Boys 0 #926 1 14,506
MY Boys 0 #935 178 25,439
IN Boys 0 #938 64 16,750
NL Girls 0 #945 11 5,933
BR Girls 0 #991 2 12,708
NG Boys 0 #997 5 16,906
EG Girls 0 #1,005 5 14,742
PE Girls 0 #1,006 5 14,861
ZA Girls 0 #1,028 114 25,928
MX Boys 0 #1,033 1 16,355
TR 0 #1,082 130 19,440
MA 0 #1,105 24 20,986
DZ 0 #1,116 61 20,130
ZA Boys 0 #1,116 63 25,619
CO Girls 0 #1,149 4 16,140
IT Boys 0 #1,246 226 10,046
MX Girls 0 #1,263 5 17,781

Zia is popular in 79 countries — most recent births per country:

France
United States
Canada
Switzerland
Wallonia, Belgium

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Zia

Zia is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Zia is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈziːə/ (ZEE-uh).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Ziya, Ziah, Ziyah and Ziaa.
Yes, very popular — Zia ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 9 countries.
Zia ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Yes — 1 notable people named Zia are in our database, including Zia Mohyeddin (Actor).