Fun Facts About the Name Asia
- More than 32 thousand babies named Asia: U.S. records list 32,684 babies given the name Asia from 1880 through 2025. Even 196 boys received the name Asia - about 1 boy for every 166 girls.
What Does the Name Asia Mean?
Asia is the English name of the continent, used as a given name. The place name comes from Greek Asía (Ἀσία), and its deeper origin is uncertain. The most widely repeated explanation links it to Akkadian aṣû, "to go out" or "to rise," said of the sun, so that the name would mean "land of the sunrise," that is, the east. A related suggestion connects it to a Semitic word for "east." An older proposal derived it from Greek asía, "mud" or "silt," but this is generally considered weaker. These explanations compete, and none is securely proved; the customary sense "east" rests on the most common of them rather than on a settled etymology.
The name has a separate Polish origin. In Polish, Asia is a familiar short form of Joanna (the Polish equivalent of Joanna, from Greek Ioanna and ultimately from a Hebrew name meaning "God is gracious"), and it is also given in Poland as a name in its own right.
Asia Name History & Origins
Greek writers used Asía from an early period, at first for the western coast of Anatolia and later for the lands to the east, including the Persian Empire. Latin took the word as Asia, and it passed into English as the name of the continent. Greek tradition also told of a nymph named Asia and linked her to the continent's name; that is a mythological account, not a documented etymology.
As a personal name in English, Asia follows the long-standing practice of turning place names into given names and became established during the 20th century. Modern bearers include the Italian actress Asia Argento (born 1975).
In Poland the name followed a different path: Asia (pronounced roughly AH-sha) developed as the everyday short form of Joanna and is also recorded there as an independent given name.
How Popular is the Name Asia?
Asia recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1997. Its best rank was #195 in 1997.
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 | #2,197 | 84 | 0.0052% |
| 2024 | #1,689 | 120 | 0.0074% |
| 2023 | #1,625 | 128 | 0.0080% |
| 2022 | #1,591 | 133 | 0.0081% |
| 2021 | #1,460 | 147 | 0.0090% |
| 2020 | #1,419 | 154 | 0.0095% |
| 2019 | #1,326 | 172 | 0.0103% |
| 2018 | #1,263 | 183 | 0.0108% |
| 2017 | #1,025 | 253 | 0.0147% |
| 2016 | #1,108 | 230 | 0.0130% |
| 2015 | #901 | 306 | 0.0171% |
| 2014 | #807 | 346 | 0.0194% |
| 2013 | #736 | 371 | 0.0211% |
| 2012 | #792 | 341 | 0.0194% |
| 2011 | #653 | 436 | 0.0248% |
| 2010 | #532 | 551 | 0.0310% |
| 2009 | #474 | 655 | 0.0357% |
| 2008 | #385 | 839 | 0.0444% |
| 2007 | #323 | 1,029 | 0.0535% |
| 2006 | #331 | 1,002 | 0.0527% |
| 2005 | #285 | 1,162 | 0.0629% |
| 2004 | #245 | 1,298 | 0.0707% |
| 2003 | #238 | 1,369 | 0.0749% |
| 2002 | #266 | 1,190 | 0.0662% |
| 2001 | #252 | 1,268 | 0.0704% |
| 2000 | #221 | 1,423 | 0.0784% |
| 1999 | #227 | 1,417 | 0.0799% |
| 1998 | #206 | 1,509 | 0.0854% |
| 1997 | #195 | 1,532 | 0.0880% |
| 1996 | #200 | 1,447 | 0.0825% |
| 1995 | #219 | 1,290 | 0.0734% |
| 1994 | #234 | 1,212 | 0.0679% |
| 1993 | #247 | 1,121 | 0.0620% |
| 1992 | #252 | 1,108 | 0.0601% |
| 1991 | #255 | 1,098 | 0.0586% |
| 1990 | #300 | 922 | 0.0486% |
| 1989 | #311 | 813 | 0.0441% |
| 1988 | #413 | 565 | 0.0317% |
| 1987 | #522 | 390 | 0.0224% |
| 1986 | #532 | 384 | 0.0224% |
| 1985 | #592 | 328 | 0.0191% |
| 1984 | #571 | 322 | 0.0191% |
| 1983 | #558 | 326 | 0.0195% |
| 1982 | #743 | 226 | 0.0133% |
| 1981 | #866 | 179 | 0.0107% |
| 1980 | #939 | 159 | 0.0096% |
| 1979 | #894 | 167 | 0.0104% |
| 1978 | #1,069 | 124 | 0.0081% |
| 1977 | #1,247 | 96 | 0.0063% |
| 1976 | #1,344 | 80 | 0.0055% |
| 1975 | #1,074 | 109 | 0.0075% |
| 1974 | #1,386 | 74 | 0.0050% |
| 1973 | #1,481 | 64 | 0.0044% |
| 1972 | #1,858 | 45 | 0.0030% |
| 1971 | #2,004 | 42 | 0.0025% |
| 1970 | #2,167 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 1969 | #2,709 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1968 | #3,180 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1967 | #4,063 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1966 | #5,847 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #4,852 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1964 | #3,707 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1962 | #4,555 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #4,655 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1956 | #6,004 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1948 | #5,290 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1945 | #4,055 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | #12,525 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2005 | #8,362 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #11,035 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #8,407 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #6,892 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #7,204 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #5,496 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #6,661 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #7,199 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #7,867 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #6,423 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #5,796 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1992 | #7,491 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #5,124 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #5,020 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #3,213 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #5,793 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #3,614 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #4,542 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #5,683 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #6,348 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #5,112 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #5,655 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #3,993 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #4,771 | 5 | 0.0003% |
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.
Explore More Lists with Name Asia
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with A
Unique Short Girl Names That Start with A
How the Name Asia 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.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Asia's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Asia's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.