Zia is a distinctive choice, ranked #1097 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Zia in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#1097
About the Name Zia
Zia is gradually declining in popularity, having dropped 32 places over five years. Its high point was #981 in 2023, and it now sits at #1097. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Zia is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Zia
Unlikely. With around 31 UK babies named Zia per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Zia in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Zia has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 32 places in the last five years. Its peak was #981 in 2023. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Zia is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named Zia include: Zia Chishti — Muhammad Ziaullah Khan Chishti is a Pakistani-American investor and business executive.; Helen Zia — Helen Zia is a Chinese American journalist and activist for Asian American and LGBTQ rights.; Zia Mody — Zia Jaydev Mody is an Indian corporate lawyer and businesswoman..
Zia does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Zias in the wild.
31
UK babies named Zia (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 32 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Zia
Likely around 1 other Zia in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Zia
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was a Pakistani military officer and politician who served as the sixth president of Pakistan from 1978 until his death in an airplane crash in 1988. He also served as the second chief of the army staff of the Pakistan Army from 1976 until his death.
Partou Zia was a British-Iranian artist and writer. Born in Tehran, she emigrated to England in 1970, completing her secondary education at Whitefields School near Hendon, London.
Helen Zia is a Chinese American journalist and activist for Asian American and LGBTQ rights. After Vincent Chin's murder, Zia helped found American Citizens for Justice, which successfully lobbied for a federal trial.
Mehr Lal Soni, better known as Zia Fatehabadi, was an Indian Urdu ghazal and nazm writer. He was a disciple (shaagird) of Seemab Akbarabadi, who was a disciple of Nawab Mirza Khan Daagh Dehlvi.
Begum Khaleda Zia was a Bangladeshi politician who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and the second female prime minister in the Muslim world after Benazir Bhutto.
Seyyed Zia al-Din Tabataba'i Yazdi was an Iranian journalist and pro-Constitution politician who, with the help of Reza Shah, spearheaded the 1921 Persian coup d'état and aimed to reform Qajar rule, which was in domestic turmoil and under foreign intervention. He subsequently became the 13th Prime Minister of Persia (Iran).