Ria is a short form of Maria that stands on its own in Germany, the Netherlands and India; Maria goes back to the Hebrew Miryam, whose meaning is debated and often given as "beloved" or "wished-for child". In India the same sound is spelled Riya and read as "singer" or "graceful". In the United States Ria stood at number 1964 in 2000, peaked at number 1150 in 2005 and ranks number 2346 in 2025.