How to say it
LI · a
/ˈli.ə/
Feminine
Lia
Weary, or short of Julia
What it means
Italian short of Amelia, Julia, Rosalia, or Cecilia. Also the Italian and Portuguese form of the Hebrew Leah ('weary' or 'gazelle'). Lia in Italian fairy-tale tradition; Lia (or Lía) in Spanish Catholic tradition.
Lia has two roots that converged in modern English use. As an Italian short, it can stand alone for Amelia, Julia, Rosalia, Cecilia, or Ofelia. As an independent name, the Italian and Portuguese Lia is the Romance-language form of the Hebrew Leah (Le'ah, 'weary' or, in alternate readings, 'gazelle'), the wife of Jacob and mother of six of the twelve tribes of Israel. As a US given name Lia is climbing with the broader vintage-revival and Italian-name wave. It entered the US top 300 in 2018. Single short; Lia is already a short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #188 in 2024, currently #200 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
LEE-ah, two syllables. Identical to the English Leah and the Italian Lea.
- Spelling
Lia (Italian/Portuguese), Leah (Hebrew/English), and Lea (French/German) are all the same name in different language traditions.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Leah (Hebrew Bible) Wife of Jacob, mother of six of the twelve tribes of Israel
Spelling variants
- Leah
- Lea
- Liya