Biblical Girl Names That End in -ia (or -iah)

Are you looking for biblical girl names that end in -ia (or -iah)? From Alexandria to Zeruiah, here's a bumper crop of contenders for your shortlist.

1. Lydia. An early Christian woman mentioned in the New Testament. As a baby name, Lydia is best described as a "quiet classic", a name that has been in steady use throughout history but never chart-toppingly popular.
2. Maria. The Latin version of Mary.
3. Julia. A popular choice over a great many years. As for its biblical background, Julia appears in the New Testament as the name of a Roman Christian to whom Paul sent greetings.
4. Alexandria. A 1990s' favorite that still has broad appeal. As for the biblical link, the port city of Alexandria is mentioned indirectly in the Bible through references to "Alexandrians" and "Alexandrian ships".
5. Azariah. Borne by several biblical men, Azariah today counts as a unisex name.
6. Claudia. A culture-spanning possibility that works whether you're in New York, Rome or Rio.
7. Keziah. The name of one of Job's beautiful daughters, born to him after his sufferings. Kezia is a spelling variation.
8. Sia. Famously associated with the Australian singer-songwriter behind the hit "Chandelier", the name Sia has a surprising biblical link: according to Nehemiah 7, "the sons of Sia", a family of temple servants, were among the first to return from the Babylonian exile. In Ezra 2, the name appears as Siaha.
9. Zia. Zia is only mentioned in passing in the Bible as a male member of the Gadite clan. As a 21st-century baby name, Zia leans feminine.
10. Neriah. Neriah appears as a male name in the Bible, but in 21st-century America, it falls squarely into the girls' column.
11. Amariah. This scriptural name read male in biblical times but has since been claimed for Team Pink.
12. Samaria. A biblical place that doubles as an unusual but but perfectly legit girl's name.
13. Junia. If you're looking for a pretty, subtly biblical name, this one might appeal. In the Bible, Junia is a devout Christian known from Paul the Apostle's letter to the Romans.
14. Micaiah. The most famous biblical Micaiah is a prophet known for his unwavering commitment to speaking the truth. As a baby name, Micaiah works for both girls and boys.
15. Athaliah. Sound-wise, Athaliah is very appealing; the hold-up is the association with the wicked queen Athaliah. Try Attalia instead!
16. Adaiah. There are several men called Adaiah in the Old Testament, but in the U.S., it has been used as a girls' name as well.
17. Apphia. The name of an early Christian woman mentioned in the New Testament.
18. Azaliah. Reminiscent of the floral baby name Azalea, this beautiful name actually appears as a male name in the Bible but feels feminine to the Western sensibility.
19. Kelaiah. Kelaiah, also known as Kelita, is a minor biblical figure mentioned a few times in the Old Testament. While the biblical figure was a male, the name Kelaiah feels feminine to a modern English speaker.
20. Seraiah. This name appears as a male name in the Old Testament, but in modern-day America, it falls on the girls' side of the charts.
21. Hananiah. The Bible is peppered with men called Hananiah. As a modern baby name, Hananiah can be used for either gender.
22. Ramiah. The name Ramiah appears briefly in the Book of Ezra. Outside the Bible, it's perhaps best recognized as an Indian surname.
23. Zeruiah. Chances are you've never heard Zeruiah used as a baby name, and you probably won't in the future either—unless you give it to your daughter. As for Zeruiah's biblical connection, the name is borne in the Bible by one of King David's sisters and the mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
24. Attalia. An ancient city which Paul and Barnabas visited on their way to Antioch during their first missionary journey. Not to be confused with Athalia, the wicked queen.
25. Neziah. In the Bible, Neziah refers to an ancestor of temple workers who returned to their homeland from the Babylonian exile. As a baby name, this unisex name has yet to hit the mainstream.
26. Achaia. An extremely rare girl's name with biblical place name panache. In the Bible, Achaia is a region located in the southern part of what is now Greece and is mentioned several times in the New Testament.
27. Ananiah. A male name and a place name in the Bible, but to the modern ear, it sounds pretty feminine. Not to be confused with Ananias.
28. Azaniah. Start with Azaliah, swap the L for an N, and you arrive at Azaniah, another biblical possibility with the zippy nickname Aza.
29. Cilicia. The name of the birth place of Paul the Apostle.
30. Delaiah. A biblical name borne by several minor Old Testament characters. The aural connection with the word "delay" may give English-speaking parents pause.
31. Jaazaniah. A male name in biblical times; an extremely rare, female-leaning name in modern times.
32. Lycia. Lycia, which is briefly mentioned in the New Testament in connection to Paul's missionary journeys, was a geopolitical region in Anatolia. As a baby name, Lycia has escaped American parents' notice.
33. Neariah. This name was gendered male in biblical times, but in modern American context, Neariah would probably be better suited for a girl.
34. Philadelphia. Both a modern place-inspired baby name and an ancient place name: in the Bible, Philadelphia is the name of a city in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey).
35. Reaiah. A masculine-coded biblical name turned girls' name.
36. Shemaiah. Appearing as a male name in the Bible, Shemaiah has been decoupled from its original gender assignment.
37. Shemariah. A biblical male name that could easily go feminine.
38. Tiria. Tiria makes a brief appearance as a male name in the Old Testament, but in modern-day America, it has a distinctly feminine feel.