Xiah
A Persian name meaning "shadow" or "shade".
Name Census estimates that about 64 living Americans carry the first name Xiah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Xiah today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Xiah births was 2022 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Xiah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Xiah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
64
~ 1 in 5,355,537 Americans
Peak year
2022
22 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,105
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Xiah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Xiah from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 44 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Xiah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Xiah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Xiah
The given name Xiah has its origins in ancient Mesopotamia, specifically in the Akkadian language, which was spoken in the region around the 3rd millennium BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Akkadian word "xiahu," which means "life" or "breath." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have been used to signify a deep reverence for life and its sustaining essence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Xiah can be found in cuneiform tablets from the ancient city of Ur, where it was used as a personal name for both men and women. These tablets, dating back to the 3rd century BCE, provide insight into the cultural and linguistic landscape of the time, highlighting the importance of names and their symbolic meanings.
In ancient Sumerian mythology, there are references to a deity or mythical figure named Xiah, who was associated with fertility and the cycles of life. While the details are scarce, this connection suggests that the name may have held spiritual significance in the region's early belief systems.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Xiah. One of the earliest known figures was Xiah the Scribe, a renowned writer and scholar who lived in the city of Babylon during the 6th century BCE. His works, though largely lost to time, were praised for their eloquence and wisdom.
Another prominent figure was Xiah al-Kindi, an Arab philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 9th century CE. He made significant contributions to the fields of optics, medicine, and music theory, and his writings influenced generations of scholars in the Islamic Golden Age.
In the realm of literature, Xiah al-Baghdadi was a celebrated poet and calligrapher who lived in the 11th century CE. His works, often adorned with intricate calligraphic designs, were widely admired for their lyrical beauty and emotional depth.
Moving forward in time, Xiah ibn Battuta was a renowned Moroccan explorer and traveler who embarked on extensive journeys across Africa, Asia, and Europe during the 14th century. His detailed accounts of his travels, known as the "Rihla," provided invaluable insights into the cultures and civilizations he encountered.
Finally, in the 18th century, Xiah al-Jazari was a skilled engineer and inventor from modern-day Turkey. He is best known for his groundbreaking work on mechanical clocks and automata, which showcased his remarkable ingenuity and understanding of mechanics.
People
Xiah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Xiah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with X
Other first names starting with X with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Xiah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Xiah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 64 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Xiah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 5,355,537 US residents.
Is Xiah a common name?
We classify Xiah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 58% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 64 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Xiah most popular?
The single biggest year for Xiah was 2022, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Xiah is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Xiah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Xiah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Xiah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Xiah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Xiah in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Xiah can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Xiah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.