Milia
A feminine variant of the Russian "Mila", meaning "gracious" or "dear one".
Name Census estimates that about 287 living Americans carry the first name Milia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Milia today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Milia births was 2014 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Milia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
287
~ 1 in 1,194,266 Americans
Peak year
2014
20 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,329
Tracked since 1956
Popularity
Milia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Milia from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 117 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Milia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Milia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Milia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Milia
The name Milia has its origins in Latin, derived from the word "milium," which means "millet," a small grain. It is believed that the name was initially used as a nickname or surname for someone associated with the cultivation or trade of millet.
In ancient Roman times, the name Milia was occasionally used as a feminine name, although it was more commonly found as a surname or cognomen. One of the earliest recorded instances is Milia Tertia, a Roman woman mentioned in an inscription from the 1st century AD.
During the Middle Ages, the name Milia gained popularity in various regions of Europe, particularly in Italy and Spain. It was often associated with concepts of fertility, abundance, and nourishment due to its connection with the millet grain.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Milia was Milia di Gerardo, an Italian noblewoman from the city of Pisa. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her involvement in the construction of several churches and monasteries.
Another historical figure was Milia Caravaca, a Spanish mystic and alleged visionary who lived in the 16th century. According to records, she claimed to have experienced visions and received divine messages, which gained her a following among the religious community of her time.
In the world of literature, Milia appears as a character in the 17th-century Spanish play "La vida es sueño" (Life Is a Dream) by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. The character, a servant, played a minor role in the famous work.
Moving into the 19th century, Milia Zara was an Italian painter and sculptor known for her works depicting religious themes and scenes from Italian folklore. She was born in 1832 and gained recognition for her artistic talents during her lifetime.
Lastly, Milia Rădulescu was a Romanian writer and journalist who lived from 1878 to 1956. She was actively involved in the women's rights movement and published several works advocating for gender equality and social reform.
While the name Milia has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has persisted as a unique and intriguing option, carrying connotations of ancient roots, cultural significance, and a connection to the natural world.
People
Milia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Milia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Milia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Milia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 287 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Milia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,194,266 US residents.
Is Milia a common name?
We classify Milia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 292 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Milia most popular?
The single biggest year for Milia was 2014, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Milia is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Milia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Milia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.