Girl name · Greek
Lydia
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: woman from LydiaLydia is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "woman from Lydia". It is used in English, German and Greek.
- Meaning
- Woman from Lydia
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #92 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Lydia
As a girl's name, Lydia comes from Greek and means "woman from Lydia". It is used in English, German and Greek.
In Greek, say LEE-dhee-ah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Lydia on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Lydia on 4 lists.
“From a region of Asia Minor; Greek. Seller of purple cloth, Acts 16”
From Biblical names, female biblical names
“From a region of Asia Minor; Greek. Soft biblical classic”
From Girl middle names, flowing middle names for girls
“Woman from Lydia, a region of Asia Minor; Greek. Say LEE-dhee-ah”
From Greek girl names, popular Greek girl names
“Woman from a kingdom in Asia Minor; Greek. A Bennet sister in Austen”
From Vintage girl names, victorian girl names
How popular is Lydia?
- US rank in 2025
- #92
- 2,692 babies, 1,675 per million girls
- Best rank
- #75 in 1883
- Most babies: 3,652 in 2014
- Babies since 1880
- At least 187,039
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 2,973 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 2,675 per million |
| 1900s | 1,791 per million |
| 1910s | 1,107 per million |
| 1920s | 776 per million |
| 1930s | 625 per million |
| 1940s | 634 per million |
| 1950s | 760 per million |
| 1960s | 641 per million |
| 1970s | 493 per million |
| 1980s | 645 per million |
| 1990s | 944 per million |
| 2000s | 1,429 per million |
| 2010s | 1,870 per million |
| 2020s | 1,713 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #80 | #85 | #89 | #94 | #95 | #89 | #93 | #94 | #97 | #92 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Lydia
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Lidatraditional short form (Russian)
Other forms of Lydia
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- LidaShort form of Lidiya, woman of Lydia (Greek, girl)
- LidiaWoman from Lydia (Greek, girl)
- LidiyaWoman of Lydia (Greek, girl)
Names spelled like Lydia
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- LuciaLight, brightness (Latin, girl)
- LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- LeiaForm of Leah; Princess Leia in Star Wars (Hebrew, girl)
- LadiBorn on Sunday (Hausa, girl)
- LaiaWell spoken (Greek, girl)
- LamiaShining, radiant (Arabic, girl)
- LiliaLily (Hawaiian, girl)
- LuziaLight (Latin, girl)
- LylaVariant of Leila, night, or feminine form of Lyle (Arabic, girl)
Middle names for Lydia
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
Lydia: common questions
What does the name Lydia mean?
Lydia comes from Greek and means "woman from Lydia". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Lydia a boy or girl name?
Lydia is mainly a girl's name.
What are nicknames for Lydia?
Common nicknames for Lydia include Lida.
How popular is the name Lydia?
Lydia ranked #92 in the US in 2025, with 2,692 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Lydia?
Forms of Lydia with the same meaning and origin include Lida (Russian), Lidia (Spanish) and Lidiya (Russian).
What middle names go with Lydia?
Middle names that flow well with Lydia include Abigail, Aurora, Daisy, Poppy and Sophia. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.