Nia
A feminine name of Celtic origin, meaning "bright" or "shining".
Name Census estimates that about 24,502 living Americans carry the first name Nia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nia today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nia births was 2000 (1,033 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nia. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Nia with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
25K
~ 1 in 13,989 Americans
Peak year
2000
1,033 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
1993 SSA rank
#672
Tracked since 1951
Census
Nia in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 21,916 people with the first name Nia, which placed it at #1,511 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#1,511
National first-name rank
People counted
22K
21,916 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
7.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
62.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nia
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nia is Black at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and White (11.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Nia described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Nia at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American62.0% · 13,586
- Hispanic or Latino14.4% · 3,155
- White11.0% · 2,421
- Two or more races7.4% · 1,626
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.6% · 999
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 129
Gender
Gender distribution for Nia
Out of the 25,023 babies given the name Nia since 1880, 100.0% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Nia as a male name
- Ranked #9,722 in 1993
- 5 male births in 1993
- Peak: 1989 (5 births)
Nia as a female name
- Ranked #672 in 2024
- 428 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2000 (1,033 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Nia appears almost entirely female. Of the 21,920 people counted with this name, 99.5% were female and only a very small share were male.
Popularity
Nia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nia from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 8,571 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nia 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 Nia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 43 states and territories. New York, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Nia, while West Virginia, Rhode Island, Montana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 534 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nia
The name Nia originates from the Welsh language and culture, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. Derived from the Welsh word "nien," meaning "bright" or "shining," the name reflects the radiant qualities associated with its bearers.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Nia can be found in the 13th-century Welsh manuscript, the "Black Book of Carmarthen," where it appears as a variant spelling of the name "Nien." This ancient text, a compilation of Welsh poetry, provides insight into the linguistic and cultural significance of the name during that era.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Nia. In the 16th century, Nia Ferch Gruffydd, a Welsh noblewoman and landowner, played a significant role in preserving the Welsh language and culture. Her legacy continues to inspire generations of Welsh people.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Nia was Nia Gwynne, a 17th-century Welsh poet and writer. Her poetic works, which celebrated the beauty of the Welsh landscape and the resilience of the Welsh people, have left an indelible mark on the country's literary tradition.
In the realm of sports, Nia Sanderson, a British gymnast born in 1985, achieved notable success, representing Great Britain at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. Her athletic prowess and dedication to her craft have made her a role model for aspiring gymnasts worldwide.
Nia Peeples, an American actress and singer born in 1961, has also contributed to the cultural landscape. Known for her roles in various television series and films, she has left a lasting impact on the entertainment industry, showcasing her versatility as a performer.
The name Nia has also found its way into the world of literature, with Nia Kuniak, a contemporary Canadian author born in 1989. Her works, which explore themes of identity, culture, and belonging, have garnered critical acclaim and resonated with readers across the globe.
While the name Nia has its roots in the Welsh language and culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and gained popularity in various parts of the world, each bearer adding their unique story and accomplishments to the rich tapestry of this name's legacy.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Nia
People
Nia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24,502 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nia 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 13,989 US residents.
Is Nia a common name?
We classify Nia as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 25,023 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nia most popular?
The single biggest year for Nia was 2000, when 1,033 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nia is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Nia in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 21,916 people with the name Nia, or 7.26 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #1,511 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Nia in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Nia?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Nia appears almost entirely female. Of the 21,920 people counted with this name, 99.5% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Nia?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nia is Black at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and White (11.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Nia most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Nia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.0% (13,586 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Nia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nia 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.
Is Nia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nia in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Nia can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many Americans are named Nia?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.