Declining since 2014, #4,172 for girls today.
Popularity of Dia since 1948
Babies named Dia per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1950s | 83 |
| 1960s | 247 |
| 1970s | 391 |
| 1980s | 277 |
| 1990s | 209 |
| 2000s | 284 |
| 2010s | 489 |
| 2020s | 265 |
Meaning & origin
Dia is a short, graceful name with multiple cultural touchpoints. It has been in use in the United States since at least 1948, but its popularity peaked in 2015, when it reached its highest rank. Since 2014, its usage has been declining: as of 2025, about 1 in 47,273 girls receives the name, and it ranks 4,172 overall. The name saw particular favor in Texas, its top state. Dia's roots span Sanskrit, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese, giving it a global but unpretentious feel. As a modern given name, it often appears as a standalone choice or a nickname for Diana, and its simple vowel-closing sound makes it easy to say across languages.
In Sanskrit, Dia (or Diya) means 'lamp' or 'light' and is a common given name in India. It is also used as a diminutive of Diana (Roman goddess of the hunt) and Diandra (a modern coinage). In Spanish and Portuguese, Dia is a short form of names like Día (day) or Diamante (diamond). In Japanese, Dia can mean 'father' or be a shortened form of names like Diane, but it is also a word for 'diamond'.
Where Dia is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Dia” around the world
Where Dia lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Dia
Names that share Dia's style, for a brother or sister.
