NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Lia

Of Germanic origin, meaning "Pliant" or "Industrious".

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.

Lia is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Lia popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #491, with 81 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 134 births.

This profile covers 2,728 England and Wales registrations across 29 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 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 3,099 living people in the UK are called Lia. 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

  • Lia ranked #491 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 81 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2002, when 134 girls were registered as Lia.
  • Lia ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #384 in 2024.
  • About 3,099 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lia as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#491

2024

Births in 2024

81

Latest year

Peak year

2002

134 births

Estimated living

3,099

2026

Meaning

What does Lia mean?

The name Lia has its origins in various languages and cultures across the world. It is a feminine given name that has been in use for centuries.

In Greek, Lia is a variant of the name Leia, derived from the Greek word "laos," meaning "people." It was a popular name among the ancient Greeks, and there are references to it in Greek mythology and literature.

In Italian, Lia is a short form of the name Olimpia, which is derived from the Greek word "Olympos," meaning "heavenly." It was a common name among Italian nobility during the Renaissance period.

In Hebrew, Lia is a variant spelling of the biblical name Leah, which means "weary" or "tired." This name appears in the Book of Genesis, where Leah is the first wife of Jacob and the mother of six of the twelve tribes of Israel.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Lia can be found in ancient Roman records from the 1st century AD. A woman named Lia Paulina was a wealthy Roman matron who owned several properties in the city of Pompeii.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Lia:

1. Lia Manoliu (1932-1998), a Romanian operatic soprano who performed with prestigious opera houses worldwide. 2. Lia Vigia Amaral (1976-), a Brazilian artist and sculptor known for her large-scale public installations. 3. Lia Vissi (1955-), a Greek singer and songwriter who has released over 30 albums and represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest. 4. Lia Khidhr Beyrouti (1923-2010), a Lebanese writer and journalist who published several novels and short stories. 5. Lia Vis (1962-), a Dutch actress and television presenter who has appeared in numerous films and TV shows.

The name Lia has been used across various cultures and time periods, reflecting its diverse origins and historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Lia over time

The chart below shows babies named Lia registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, 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 Lia, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 81 births in 2024, compared with 134 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Lia
03467101134199620102024

Decades

Lia by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lia 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 #416 517 5
2010s #507 862 10
2000s #375 1,083 10
1990s #450 266 4

Geography

Where Lia is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lia. 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.

Lia ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #384 in 2024.

Scotland
8
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Lia in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#384 in 2024

37 years of NRS records, 353 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#391 in 2023

8 years of NISRA records, 35 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Lia

  • Lia Cataldo

    association football player

    English association football player

    2001-

  • Lia Louis

    writer

    British writer

    1987-

  • Lia Nici

    politician

    British politician

    1969-

  • Lia Williams

    actor; film director; film actor; stage actor

    British actress

    1964-

Related

Names similar to Lia

FAQ

Lia: questions and answers

How popular is the name Lia in the UK right now?

In 2024, Lia was ranked #491 for girls in England and Wales, with 81 births registered.

When was Lia most popular?

The peak year on record was 2002, with 134 babies registered as Lia in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Lia?

Of Germanic origin, meaning "Pliant" or "Industrious".

How many people are called Lia in the UK?

A total of 2,728 babies have been registered as Lia across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 353 more in Scotland and 35 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Lia most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Lia ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #384 in 2024. 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.