Saia
A feminine name of Tongan origin meaning "sweet-smelling flower".
Name Census estimates that about 212 living Americans carry the first name Saia. It is a predominantly female name (93.9% of registrations). The average person named Saia today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Saia births was 2017 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Saia. 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
212
~ 1 in 1,616,766 Americans
Peak year
2017
19 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2017 SSA rank
#8,312
Tracked since 2002
Gender
Gender distribution for Saia
Saia leans heavily female at 93.9% of total registrations, but 13 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Saia as a male name
- Ranked #10,568 in 2017
- 7 male births in 2017
- Peak: 2017 (7 births)
Saia as a female name
- Ranked #8,312 in 2024
- 13 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (18 births)
Popularity
Saia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Saia from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 113 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Saia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Saia 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 Saia 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 Saia
The name Saia has its roots in the ancient Sanskrit language, which was spoken in the Indian subcontinent as early as the 2nd millennium BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Sai," which means "prosperity" or "well-being." The name is believed to have originated in the region that is now known as India, and it was likely used by the ancient Hindus and Buddhists who inhabited the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Saia can be found in the Vedas, a collection of ancient Hindu scriptures that date back to around 1500 BCE. In the Vedas, Saia is mentioned as a minor deity associated with wealth and abundance. This suggests that the name was already in use among the ancient Hindus at this time.
In the centuries that followed, the name Saia became popular among various Indian communities, particularly in the northern regions of the subcontinent. It was often given to children as a way of invoking blessings of prosperity and well-being upon them.
One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Saia was Saia Maharaj, a renowned spiritual leader and philosopher who lived in the 16th century CE. He was a follower of the Bhakti movement, which emphasized devotional worship and personal spiritual experience.
Another notable figure with the name Saia was Saia Govindram (1855-1922), an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who played a significant role in the struggle for India's independence from British rule. He was a staunch advocate for women's rights and worked tirelessly to promote education and social reform.
In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook Saia Radhakrishnan (1888-1975), an Indian philosopher and author who served as the second President of India from 1962 to 1967. He was a prolific writer and is best known for his interpretations of Hindu philosophy and his advocacy for non-violence and world peace.
The name Saia also gained prominence in the field of art and culture. Saia Thandavan (1912-1999) was a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer who played a crucial role in the revival and promotion of the ancient Indian dance form known as Bharatanatyam.
Finally, in the modern era, Saia Parameswara Iyer (1932-2010) was an Indian mathematician and computer scientist who made significant contributions to the field of theoretical computer science. He is particularly known for his work on formal languages and automata theory.
People
Saia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Saia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Saia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Saia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 212 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Saia 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 1,616,766 US residents.
Is Saia a common name?
We classify Saia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 214 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Saia most popular?
The single biggest year for Saia was 2017, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Saia is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Saia a female name?
Yes, 93.9% of people registered as Saia 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.