Xia
A Chinese gender-neutral given name meaning "sublime" or "soaring."
Name Census estimates that about 763 living Americans carry the first name Xia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Xia today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Xia births was 2019 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Xia. 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
763
~ 1 in 449,219 Americans
Peak year
2019
37 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,125
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Xia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Xia from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 251 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Xia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Xia 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 Xia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Xias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Xia, while Florida, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 37 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Xia
The name Xia is believed to have originated in ancient China, where it was closely associated with the Xia Dynasty, one of the earliest dynasties in Chinese history. The Xia Dynasty is thought to have ruled from around the 21st to the 16th century BCE, although the exact dates are still debated by historians.
The name Xia is derived from the Chinese character 夏, which means "summer" or "great." This character was used to represent the Xia Dynasty, and it is believed that the dynasty was named after the Xia tribe or clan, which was a dominant group during that time period.
In ancient Chinese texts, such as the "Shiji" (Records of the Grand Historian) by Sima Qian, the Xia Dynasty is described as a pivotal period in Chinese civilization, during which the foundations of the country's culture and society were laid. The name Xia is closely associated with this era and is considered one of the most historically significant names in Chinese history.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Xia was Yu the Great, also known as Da Yu or Xia Yu, who is believed to have lived around the 21st century BCE. According to legend, Yu was a renowned leader who gained fame for his efforts in controlling the floods that plagued ancient China. He is often credited as the founder of the Xia Dynasty.
Another notable figure with the name Xia was Xia Gui, a Chinese philosopher and politician who lived during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). Xia Gui was known for his expertise in the study of the "Yi Jing" (Book of Changes) and his contributions to the development of Confucian thought.
In the field of literature, one of the most famous individuals with the name Xia was Xia Yuanji, a renowned poet and scholar who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Xia Yuanji's poetry was highly regarded for its elegance and depth, and she is considered one of the greatest female poets in Chinese history.
Moving forward in time, Xia Minghan was a prominent Chinese painter who lived during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Xia Minghan was known for his intricate and detailed landscape paintings, which were widely celebrated for their beauty and technical mastery.
Finally, Xia Gui was a Chinese mathematician and astronomer who lived during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Xia Gui made significant contributions to the development of Chinese mathematics and astronomy, and his works were highly influential in the field of science during that time period.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Xia, a name that has deep roots in Chinese culture and holds a significant place in the country's rich heritage.
People
Xia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Xia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with X
Other first names starting with X with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Xia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Xia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 763 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Xia 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 449,219 US residents.
Is Xia a common name?
We classify Xia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 778 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Xia most popular?
The single biggest year for Xia was 2019, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Xia is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Xia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Xia 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.