UK girl's name
Liya
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "sublime" or "elevated".
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.
Liya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Liya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #575, with 68 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 68 births.
This profile covers 771 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.
Liya is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 780 living people in the UK are called Liya. 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
- • Liya ranked #575 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 68 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 68 girls were registered as Liya.
- • Liya ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.
- • About 780 living people in the UK are estimated to have Liya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#575
2024
Births in 2024
68
Latest year
Peak year
2024
68 births
Estimated living
780
2026
Meaning
What does Liya mean?
The name Liya has its roots in several cultures and languages around the world. It is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit word "lila," which means "play" or "divine play." In Hinduism, Lila is often associated with the playful and creative nature of the divine.
Liya is also a variation of the name Leila, which has Arabic origins and means "night." In Arabic culture, the name Leila is often associated with beauty, grace, and femininity, as the night is often romanticized in poetry and literature.
The name Liya can also be traced back to the Greek word "leilos," meaning "slender" or "delicate." In ancient Greek mythology, there are references to a nymph named Lilia, who was known for her beauty and elegance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Liya can be found in ancient Sumerian texts, where it was written as "Li-ia." In these texts, the name was often associated with fertility and abundance.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Liya or its variations. One of the most famous was Lilia, a Byzantine Empress who ruled in the 11th century. She was known for her political savvy and her efforts to promote education and culture.
Another notable figure was Leila Ahmed, an Egyptian-American writer and scholar who was born in 1940. She is known for her work on feminism and Islam and has written several influential books on these topics.
In the realm of art, Liya Kebede is an Ethiopian model and actress who was born in 1978. She has appeared in numerous fashion campaigns and has also worked as a health advocate, particularly in her home country of Ethiopia.
Liya Petrich is a Russian-American physicist and engineer who was born in 1944. She has made significant contributions to the field of plasma physics and has been recognized for her work with several awards and honors.
Finally, Liya Geldiyeva is a Turkmen writer and journalist who was born in 1958. She is known for her works that explore themes of identity, culture, and the experiences of women in Turkmenistan.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Liya or its variations. The name continues to be popular in various cultures and regions around the world, carrying with it a rich history and diverse meanings.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Liya over time
The chart below shows babies named Liya registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 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 Liya, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 68 births in 2024, compared with 68 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Liya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Liya 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 | #666 | 284 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1020 | 346 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1570 | 138 | 9 |
| 1990s | #3848 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Liya is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Liya. 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.
Liya ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.
Across the UK
Liya in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#790 in 2024
4 years of NRS records, 13 total registered
Related
Names similar to Liya
- Lily 72,956
- Lucy 70,663
- Lauren 50,664
- Leah 33,185
- Lola 24,525
- Layla 24,520
- Laura 23,471
- Lilly 21,714
- Lydia 18,353
- Libby 14,515
- Lara 13,415
- Lacey 13,406
FAQ
Liya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Liya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Liya was ranked #575 for girls in England and Wales, with 68 births registered.
When was Liya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 68 babies registered as Liya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Liya?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "sublime" or "elevated".
How many people are called Liya in the UK?
A total of 771 babies have been registered as Liya across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 13 more in Scotland.
Where is Liya most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Liya ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #790 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.