Mia is a shortened version of the name Maria, which is derived from the Hebrew name Miryam. Mia has also been used as an abbreviated version of the Israeli girl's name Michal. Mia has roots in Latin languages, like Spanish and Italian, where it means "mine."
Mia is pronounced "mee-ah" and is most commonly spelled Mia, though Mya and Miah are spelling variations. This short and sweet name doesn't lend itself well to many nicknames, but some options include Mimi and Mi.
Mia has become wildly popular as a stand-alone name, but it is also often used as a shortened version or nickname for many other popular girl names, like Amelia, Emilia, Emily, and Amalia. It 's a traditionally feminine name, typically used for girls. If you prefer a more gender-neutral name, consider Mio, which is used as a girl's name in Japan and a boy 's name in other countries.
Originally a spunky nickname for the Biblical name Maria, Mia didn't emerge as a name in its own right in the United States until the 1960s. In the 1990s and 2000s, Mia surpassed Maria in popularity, and since then Mia 's been unstoppable. It has consistently ranked in the top ten baby names in the U.S. since 2009. In 2020, Mia was the 8th most popular girl name in the United States, according to data compiled by the Social Security Administration.
Mia's emergence in the United States coincided with the rise in fame of Mia Farrow, the American actress and activist. (Interestingly, her given name is Maria!) Farrow starred in the soap opera Peyton Place, as well as films including Rosemary 's Baby and Hannah and Her Sisters. More recently, the soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Mia Hamm (birth name: Mariel) contributed to this name's popularity.
Mia is a fun and chic name that offers a bit of sass. This name has exploded in popularity over the past 20 years and isn't showing signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Mia Hamm : Retired American soccer player and two-time Olympic gold medalist
Mia Tyler : American actress and daughter of Aerosmith's lead singer, Steven Tyler
Mia Martini : Italian singer and songwriter
Ludmya "Mia" Love : American politician who served as the U.S. Representative for Utah 's 4th congressional district
Mia Kirshner : Canadian actress known for her roles in the television shows 24 and The L word
Mia Zapata : American musician who was lead singer for The Gits
Mia Wray : Australian pop singer and songwriter
Mia Pojatina : Croatian model and beauty queen crowned Miss Universe Croatia in 2018
Mia Rkman : Croatian model and beauty queen crowned Miss Universe Croatia in 2019
Mia Brownell : American painter and visual artist
Mia Murray : Australian basketball player
Mia May : Austrian actress
Mia Farrow : actress
Mia Davis : actress
Mia Kirshner : actress
Mia Molvray : writer
Mia Sara : actress
Mia Tyler : actress
Mia Hamm : athlete