UK name, mostly girls
Jia
Of Chinese origin, meaning "fine jade" or "beautiful".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 305 boys.
Jia is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Jia popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1672, with 18 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 61 births.
This profile covers 710 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 30% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 745 living people in the UK are called Jia. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Jia ranked #1672 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 18 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 61 girls were registered as Jia.
- • Jia ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #318 in 2005.
- • Jia is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 745 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jia as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 70.0% of Jia registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1672
2024
Births in 2024
18
Latest year
Peak year
2008
61 births
Estimated living
745
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Jia
In England and Wales birth records, Jia has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 30.0% of registrations are for boys and 70.0% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Jia registered for boys
- Ranked #3,848 in 2020
- 4 boys registered in 2020
- Peak: 2008 (40 births)
Jia registered for girls
- Ranked #1,672 in 2024
- 18 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2008 (61 births)
Meaning
What does Jia mean?
The name Jia originates from the Chinese language and culture. It has a long and storied history dating back to ancient times. The name is derived from the Chinese character "嘉", which means "good", "auspicious", or "excellent". It is a unisex name, although it is more commonly given to girls in modern times.
Jia has been a popular name in China for centuries, and it has been documented in various historical texts and records. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the classic Chinese text, the "Book of Rites" (Liji), which was compiled during the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE). This text contains instructions and guidelines for various rituals and ceremonies, and it mentions the name Jia in the context of naming conventions and auspicious meanings.
The name Jia also has connections to Chinese mythology and folklore. In some stories, it is associated with the concept of luck, prosperity, and good fortune. It was believed that giving a child this name would bring them blessings and a prosperous life.
Throughout history, there have been many notable individuals who bore the name Jia. One of the most famous was Jia Sidao (1213–1275), a renowned Chinese calligrapher and scholar during the Song Dynasty. He was known for his exceptional calligraphic skills and his contributions to the development of the "cursive script" style.
Another famous Jia was Jia Pingwa (born 1952), a contemporary Chinese novelist and screenwriter. He is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the "Root-Seeking" literary movement, which aimed to explore and preserve traditional Chinese culture and values.
In the realm of politics, Jia Qinglin (born 1940) was a prominent Chinese politician who served as a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China from 2002 to 2012. He was also the Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, an important political advisory body.
In the field of sports, Jia Zhuanzhuan (born 1985) is a Chinese weightlifter who has won multiple Olympic and World Championship medals. She is considered one of the greatest weightlifters in Chinese history and a role model for aspiring athletes.
Lastly, Jia Zhangke (born 1970) is a renowned Chinese film director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the leading figures of the "Sixth Generation" of Chinese filmmakers, known for his gritty and realistic depictions of contemporary Chinese society.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Jia. This name carries a rich cultural legacy and has been associated with excellence, prosperity, and good fortune for centuries in Chinese tradition.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jia over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Jia in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Jia, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 18 births in 2024, compared with 61 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jia by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jia was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1779 | 82 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1129 | 344 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1238 | 272 | 8 |
| 1990s | #3242 | 12 | 3 |
Geography
Where Jia is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Jia. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Jia ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #318 in 2005.
Across the UK
Jia in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#806 in 2015
8 years of NRS records, 35 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#318 in 2005
1 years of NISRA records, 4 total registered
Related
Names similar to Jia
- Jessica 105,041
- Jasmine 35,227
- Jade 19,646
- Julia 11,780
- Jennifer 11,529
- Jodie 9,357
- Jemima 6,454
- Josephine 5,889
- Jessie 5,418
- Josie 5,284
- Jasmin 4,706
- Jenna 4,646
FAQ
Jia: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jia in the UK right now?
In 2024, Jia was ranked #1672 for girls in England and Wales, with 18 births registered.
When was Jia most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 61 babies registered as Jia in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jia?
Of Chinese origin, meaning "fine jade" or "beautiful".
How many people are called Jia in the UK?
A total of 710 babies have been registered as Jia across the 26 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 35 more in Scotland and 4 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Jia most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Jia ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #318 in 2005. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.