Pia
A feminine given name of Latin origin meaning "dutiful" or "pious".
Name Census estimates that about 3,483 living Americans carry the first name Pia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pia today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pia births was 2024 (158 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pia. 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
3.5K
~ 1 in 98,408 Americans
Peak year
2024
158 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,411
Tracked since 1908
Popularity
Pia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pia from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 844 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pia 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 Pia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. New York, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Pia, while Washington, Virginia, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 93 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pia
The name Pia is a feminine given name with origins in several languages and cultures. It is derived from the Latin word "pius," meaning pious, devout, or dutiful.
In Italian, Pia has been a popular name for centuries, and it is also found in other Romance languages like Spanish and French. It is believed to have been introduced to Italy during the Roman era, as the Latin word "pius" was a common term used to describe virtuous individuals.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Pia is found in the medieval Italian literary work "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri, where a character named Pia de' Tolomei is mentioned. Pia de' Tolomei was a real-life noblewoman who lived in the 13th century and was allegedly murdered by her husband.
Another notable historical figure named Pia was Pia de' Tolomei (1272-1336), an Italian nun and mystic who was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church. She is known for her visions and spiritual writings, and her feast day is celebrated on May 29th.
In the 16th century, Pia Guidi (1542-1611) was an Italian painter and poet active in Florence during the Renaissance period. She is known for her religious paintings and portraits, and her work is displayed in various museums and galleries in Italy.
Moving to more recent times, Pia Zadora (born 1954) is an American actress and singer who rose to fame in the 1980s. She won a Golden Globe Award for her performance in the film "Butterfly" and has appeared in several other movies and television shows.
Pia Toscano (born 1988) is an American singer and songwriter who gained recognition as a contestant on the tenth season of the reality show "American Idol." Although she did not win the competition, she has since released several successful singles and albums.
These are just a few examples of historical and notable figures who have borne the name Pia. The name has endured throughout the centuries, and its meaning of piety and devotion has likely contributed to its popularity across various cultures and religions.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Pia
People
Pia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,483 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pia 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 98,408 US residents.
Is Pia a common name?
We classify Pia as "Rare". It ranks above 95.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,835 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pia most popular?
The single biggest year for Pia was 2024, when 158 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pia is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pia 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.