Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Lia

Lia or Lía is the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Leah. Leah is a Hebrew name borne from the Bible as the elder sister of Rachel and the first wife of Jacob (Genesis 29:1-30). Her name means “languid, relaxed” in Hebrew. In the Bible, Jacob falls in love with Rachel, Leah’s younger (and more beautiful) sister. The story goes that Jacob offered Laban (Leah and Rachel’s father) seven years of servitude in exchange for Rachel’s hand in marriage. At the end of seven years, Laban tricks Jacob into marrying Leah first: “It is not our custom to give the younger before the firstborn” says Laban to Jacob in Genesis 29:26. Eventually Jacob marries both girls, but Leah is the one who produces most of Jacob’s sons (six in all) who would later become the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The name Leah has been a popular choice in the Jewish naming tradition (along with Rachel); she is seen as a symbol of a fruitful marriage building up the tribes of Israel. The Puritans picked up the name Leah during the Reformation and it has since spread to more Christians. Lia (or Lía with an accent mark) is the Italian and Spanish form of the name.

All About the Baby Name – Lia

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME LIA

The number Four personality is marked by stability and discipline. This is the personality that follows the rules and is conservative by nature.  They have an earth-bound energy that prefers to build things methodically on top of firm foundations; they don't cut corners. Fours take their time and don't like to be hurried. But the outcome of their endeavors is likely to result in some strong and useful structure, which makes them great engineers and inventors. Fours are anything but frivolous or controversial. This is a trustworthy, straight-forward personality that embodies dedication and organization. They are the backbone and anchor in their relationships, careers and communities. They are tidy, punctual, and full of integrity. Hard-work comes naturally to a Four and they are immensely reliable. This is the personality you can always count on.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME LIA

Lia hasn’t been around that long in the United States. The name first appeared in 1966, but it kept falling on and off the charts for over 30 years. The usage of this name during the latter half of the 20th century was so low and insignificant it was hardly worth mentioning. However, since the turn of the 21st century, Lia has seen remarkable improvement. Since the year 2000, Lia has advanced over 500 positions on the charts – going from obscurity to respectable moderation. It seems clear that the Latino-American population is probably behind the name’s growing popularity. It should also be noted that Lia is considered a pet form for any female name ending with the “-lia” suffix (such as Natalia, Rosalia, Malia, Amelia, etc). Lia also appears to be a softer, simpler and arguably prettier spelling of Leah. It also has an Italian flair (like Gia or Mia). It’s an understated beauty.

Quick Facts

ON LIA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Italian

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

385

PRONUNCIATION:

LEE-ah

SIMPLE MEANING:

Languid, relaxed

Characteristics

OF LIA

Dependable

Solid

Practical

Hard-working

Industrious

Studious

Conservative

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Lia

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME LIA

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Lia

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME LIA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Lia


Popular Songs

ON LIA

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Lia


Famous People

NAMED LIA

Lia (Japanese singer)
Lia Knight (radio personality)

Children of Famous People

NAMED LIA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Lia

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME LIA

Lia is the Latinate form of Leah and has been the spelling used in some versions of the Bible. In Genesis 29:15, we are introduced to Leah as the daughter of Laban. “Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. Jacob loved Rachel.” In exchange for Rachel’s hand in marriage, Jacob served Laban for seven years. In the end, Laban tricked Jacob into taking Leah as his first wife, promising Rachel after another seven years of service. When Jacob asked Laban what he had done to him, Laban exclaims: “It is not so done in our country to give the younger before the firstborn.” Although Leah was not the first choice of Jacob, she still bore him several sons and thus began the people of Israel.