Fun Facts About the Name Alia
- More than 14 thousand babies named Alia: U.S. records list 14,025 babies given the name Alia from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Alia Mean?
Alia is most often an Arabic feminine name meaning "exalted" or "high." It comes from the Arabic root ʿ-l-w (ع ل و), which has the sense of rising or being high. The feminine form ʿāliyah (عالية) means "high, lofty, sublime." In this origin, Alia is related to the male name Ali (علي) and to the spellings Aaliyah and Aliya.
Alia is also used as a spelling of the Hebrew name Aliyah (עֲלִיָּה), which comes from the Hebrew root ʿ-l-h (עלה), meaning "to go up," and means "ascent" or "going up." This Hebrew name has a separate history from the Arabic name, even though the two can look the same in English. In Jewish usage, aliyah refers to being called up to read from the Torah and, in modern usage, to immigration to Israel.
Alia Name History & Origins
The Arabic feminine name ʿāliyah (عالية) belongs to a group of names from the root ʿ-l-w, including the male ʿAlī (علي) and other feminine forms that express height or exaltation. It is used in Arabic-speaking and Muslim communities, and it appears in English in several transliterations, including Alia, Aliya, and Aaliyah. The spelling Alia is one common English form.
The Hebrew name Aliyah (עֲלִיָּה) comes from the root ʿ-l-h (עלה), meaning "to go up." The word is central in Jewish practice: it refers to the honor of being called up to the Torah and, since the late 19th century, to Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel. As a personal name, Aliyah and the variant spelling Alia are used in Israel and in Jewish communities elsewhere. The Arabic and Hebrew names remain separate in origin despite the shared English spelling.
In modern history, Alia is the name of Queen Alia of Jordan (1948 - 1977), wife of King Hussein; Amman's Queen Alia International Airport is named for her. The name also appears in fiction, notably as Alia Atreides in Frank Herbert's Dune (1965). These are later uses of the name, distinct from its earlier Arabic and Hebrew roots.
How Popular is the Name Alia?
Alia recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2019. Its best rank was #550 in 2019.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #587 | 499 | 0.0310% |
| 2024 | #559 | 540 | 0.0335% |
| 2023 | #556 | 545 | 0.0340% |
| 2022 | #585 | 511 | 0.0312% |
| 2021 | #594 | 504 | 0.0307% |
| 2020 | #575 | 510 | 0.0316% |
| 2019 | #550 | 555 | 0.0331% |
| 2018 | #655 | 450 | 0.0265% |
| 2017 | #639 | 461 | 0.0267% |
| 2016 | #651 | 450 | 0.0254% |
| 2015 | #612 | 472 | 0.0264% |
| 2014 | #729 | 384 | 0.0215% |
| 2013 | #724 | 381 | 0.0217% |
| 2012 | #764 | 363 | 0.0206% |
| 2011 | #727 | 380 | 0.0216% |
| 2010 | #729 | 384 | 0.0216% |
| 2009 | #771 | 368 | 0.0200% |
| 2008 | #929 | 294 | 0.0155% |
| 2007 | #1,001 | 264 | 0.0137% |
| 2006 | #922 | 287 | 0.0151% |
| 2005 | #969 | 252 | 0.0136% |
| 2004 | #828 | 300 | 0.0163% |
| 2003 | #878 | 275 | 0.0151% |
| 2002 | #856 | 269 | 0.0150% |
| 2001 | #843 | 271 | 0.0151% |
| 2000 | #730 | 318 | 0.0175% |
| 1999 | #854 | 253 | 0.0143% |
| 1998 | #932 | 223 | 0.0126% |
| 1997 | #902 | 223 | 0.0128% |
| 1996 | #934 | 208 | 0.0119% |
| 1995 | #908 | 208 | 0.0118% |
| 1994 | #1,005 | 185 | 0.0104% |
| 1993 | #1,299 | 130 | 0.0072% |
| 1992 | #1,207 | 144 | 0.0078% |
| 1991 | #1,240 | 137 | 0.0073% |
| 1990 | #1,131 | 153 | 0.0081% |
| 1989 | #1,234 | 129 | 0.0070% |
| 1988 | #1,187 | 127 | 0.0071% |
| 1987 | #1,329 | 103 | 0.0059% |
| 1986 | #1,067 | 141 | 0.0082% |
| 1985 | #1,024 | 147 | 0.0085% |
| 1984 | #1,238 | 104 | 0.0062% |
| 1983 | #1,169 | 112 | 0.0067% |
| 1982 | #1,179 | 116 | 0.0069% |
| 1981 | #1,165 | 114 | 0.0068% |
| 1980 | #1,207 | 109 | 0.0066% |
| 1979 | #1,301 | 96 | 0.0060% |
| 1978 | #1,412 | 82 | 0.0054% |
| 1977 | #1,170 | 106 | 0.0069% |
| 1976 | #1,696 | 57 | 0.0039% |
| 1975 | #1,603 | 61 | 0.0042% |
| 1974 | #1,733 | 52 | 0.0035% |
| 1973 | #1,374 | 72 | 0.0049% |
| 1972 | #2,523 | 28 | 0.0018% |
| 1971 | #3,509 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1970 | #3,875 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1969 | #4,426 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1967 | #6,051 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1966 | #5,279 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #6,550 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #5,478 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #6,601 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #6,395 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1927 | #3,879 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1924 | #4,447 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1921 | #3,406 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1918 | #4,831 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1916 | #3,561 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1915 | #4,293 | 5 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Alia Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Alia's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Alia's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.