Shia is usually explained as a Hebrew pet form of Yeshayahu, Isaiah, which means "God is salvation"; the same spelling is also the English word for a major branch of Islam. The actor Shia LaBeouf, star of the Transformers films, made the name familiar to American audiences. Shia ranked number 5536 in 2000, reached number 1202 in 2024 and stands at number 1360 in 2025.