Lydia
Say it: LID-ee-a/ˈlɪ.di.ə/
GirlMeans woman from Lydia5 letters3 syllables
#608
in Ireland (2025)
#590 with spellings combined
5
babies in 2025
#121
best rank (1999)
1,194
babies since 1971
Down 332
10-year rank change
Lydia through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | #590 |
| 2024 | 11 | #341 |
| 2023 | 10 | #358 |
| 2022 | 17 | #257 |
| 2021 | 27 | #179 |
| 2020 | 21 | #212 |
| 2019 | 21 | #233 |
| 2018 | 16 | #276 |
| 2017 | 22 | #228 |
| 2016 | 22 | #217 |
| 2015 | 20 | #258 |
| 2014 | 15 | #321 |
| 2013 | 32 | #181 |
| 2012 | 28 | #199 |
| 2011 | 23 | #234 |
| 2010 | 20 | #267 |
| 2009 | 21 | #248 |
| 2008 | 29 | #194 |
| 2007 | 25 | #202 |
| 2006 | 24 | #191 |
| 2005 | 24 | #184 |
| 2004 | 27 | #164 |
| 2003 | 21 | #184 |
| 2002 | 21 | #182 |
| 2001 | 26 | #159 |
| 2000 | 23 | #165 |
| 1999 | 34 | #121 |
| 1998 | 24 | #148 |
| 1997 | 36 | #137 |
| 1996 | 43 | #124 |
| 1995 | 37 | #133 |
| 1994 | 16 | #227 |
| 1993 | 27 | #164 |
| 1992 | 30 | #164 |
| 1991 | 24 | #180 |
| 1990 | 30 | #163 |
| 1989 | 34 | #148 |
| 1988 | 43 | #130 |
| 1987 | 22 | #210 |
| 1986 | 9 | #320 |
| 1985 | 29 | #181 |
| 1984 | 19 | #223 |
| 1983 | 30 | #182 |
| 1982 | 16 | #265 |
| 1981 | 31 | #195 |
| 1980 | 19 | #239 |
| 1979 | 26 | #207 |
| 1978 | 17 | #244 |
| 1977 | 12 | #283 |
| 1976 | 3 | #497 |
| 1975 | 4 | #455 |
| 1974 | 7 | #340 |
| 1973 | 4 | #449 |
| 1972 | 6 | #352 |
| 1971 | 11 | #269 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Lydia mean?
Woman from Lydia
Greek, from Lydia, an ancient region in the west of modern Turkey.
Say it right
LIDeea
The story of Lydia
Lydia is a Greek name that first meant a woman from Lydia, a kingdom in the west of what is now Turkey. The region was said to be named after a king called Lydus. So the name began as a way of saying where someone came from.
In the New Testament Lydia is a trader in purple cloth at Philippi, and she becomes one of the first people in Europe converted by St Paul. English readers also know Lydia Bennet, the headstrong youngest sister in Pride and Prejudice.
Lydia first appears in the CSO records in 1971. It had the most babies in 1988, with 43, and its best rank was number 121 in 1999. It has become less common in recent years, but it is still a clear favourite in Northern Ireland, where it was number 117 in 2025 and reached number 73 in 2008.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Lydia (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Lydia (name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Liddy
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Lydia | 5 | 1,194 |
In Northern Ireland
#117 in 2025 with 18 babies. Best rank #73 (2008); 630 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.