Girl name · Irish Gaelic
Nia
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: bright, radiantNia is a girl's name that comes from Irish Gaelic and means "bright, radiant". It is used in Welsh.
- Meaning
- Bright, radiant
- Origin
- Irish Gaelic
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- NEE-ah
Meaning and origin of Nia
As a girl's name, Nia comes from Irish Gaelic and means "bright, radiant". It is used in Welsh.
Say it NEE-ah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Nia on our names that mean light list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Nia on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Nia on 2 lists.
“A modern pick taken from the last letters”
From Nicknames for Virginia, classic and short nicknames for Virginia
“Purpose; Swahili, East Africa. A principle of Kwanzaa. Say NEE-ah”
From African names, african girl names
How popular is Nia?
- US rank in 2025
- #702
- 403 babies, 251 per million girls
- Best rank
- #307 in 2000
- 1,033 babies that year
- Babies since 1951
- At least 25,422
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 1 per million |
| 1960s | 5 per million |
| 1970s | 51 per million |
| 1980s | 70 per million |
| 1990s | 293 per million |
| 2000s | 464 per million |
| 2010s | 374 per million |
| 2020s | 301 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #438 | #495 | #473 | #500 | #495 | #580 | #603 | #637 | #672 | #702 |
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.
Other forms of Nia
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Nia
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- MurielBright sea (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- RobertaBright fame (Germanic, girl)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- HubertBright heart (Germanic, boy)
- RobertoBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- RoxanaBright, shining (Persian, girl)
- BertBright (Germanic, boy)
- BerthaBright (Germanic, girl)
- BertramBright raven (Germanic, boy)
- BertrandBright raven (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Nia
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Irish Gaelic
- RoryRed king (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- BridgetExalted one (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- BridieExalted one (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- BrigitteExalted one (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- CaseyVigilant, watchful (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- CassidyCurly-haired (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- DymphnaLittle fawn (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- ErinOf Ireland (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- KeiraDark one (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- KennedyFrom an Irish surname, from Cennétig, armoured or misshapen head (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- KerryCiar's people (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- LennonLover, sweetheart (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- MaeveShe who intoxicates (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- MonaLittle noble one (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- MurphySea warrior (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- OrlaGolden ruler, from Órlaith: ór, gold, and flaith, ruler (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- QuinnDescendant of Conn (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- ReaganLittle king (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
Nia: common questions
What does the name Nia mean?
Nia comes from Irish Gaelic and means "bright, radiant".
Is Nia a boy or girl name?
Nia is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Nia come from?
Nia comes from Irish Gaelic and means "bright, radiant". Today it is used in Welsh.
How do you pronounce Nia?
Say NEE-ah. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Nia?
Nia ranked #702 in the US in 2025, with 403 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Nia?
Forms of Nia with the same meaning and origin include Neve (English), Niamh (Irish) and Sorcha (Irish).
What middle names go with Nia?
Middle names that flow well with Nia include Angelina, Belle, Charity, Dahlia and Delphine. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.