Lydia
Girl name · #92 in 2025 · Well-known
Lydia ranks #92 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 2,692 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #80, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 669 girls born in 2025 was named Lydia.
Babies named Lydia per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Lydia first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 302 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2014, when 3,652 girls were named Lydia — good for #84 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Lydia against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Lydia in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Lydia is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Lydia is most common
Geography matters for names, and Lydia is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Lydia is most common in ND (6.7 per 1,000), ME (6.4 per 1,000), WV (5.5 per 1,000), IA (5.4 per 1,000), MT (5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 2.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Lydia is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Lydia
Statistically, parents drawn to Lydia tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lucia, Cecilia, Ariana, Liliana, and Georgia.
LuciaCeciliaArianaLilianaGeorgiaAlanaNataliaAudrey
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Lydia | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,692 | #92 |
| 2024 | 2,678 | #97 |
| 2023 | 2,735 | #94 |
| 2022 | 2,818 | #93 |
| 2021 | 2,935 | #89 |
| 2020 | 2,804 | #95 |
| 2019 | 3,015 | #94 |
| 2018 | 3,213 | #89 |
| 2017 | 3,341 | #85 |
| 2016 | 3,625 | #80 |
| 2015 | 3,514 | #80 |
| 2014 | 3,652 | #84 |
| 2013 | 3,262 | #95 |
| 2012 | 3,176 | #95 |
| 2011 | 3,092 | #96 |
| 2010 | 2,840 | #110 |
| 2009 | 2,830 | #117 |
| 2008 | 2,876 | #120 |
| 2007 | 2,773 | #124 |
| 2006 | 2,668 | #130 |
| 2005 | 2,785 | #119 |
| 2004 | 2,636 | #126 |
| 2003 | 2,647 | #127 |
| 2002 | 2,512 | #137 |
| 2001 | 2,364 | #140 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Lydia a popular girl name?
Lydia ranked #92 among girls in 2025 with 2,692 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #80.
When was the name Lydia most popular?
Lydia peaked in 2014, when 3,652 American girls received the name (ranked #84 that year). Since 2014 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Lydia?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 669 newborn American girls was named Lydia. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.