Mia began as a short form of Maria and is also read as the Italian and Spanish word for "mine"; through Maria it carries the Hebrew meaning "beloved" or "wished-for child". Actress Mia Farrow made the name familiar in the 1960s. In the United States Mia rose from number 93 in 2000 into the top 10 in 2009 and has stayed there ever since, ranking sixth in 2025.