Tiana began as a short form of Tatiana and Christiana, so it carries their meanings, "of Tatius" or "follower of Christ", but it has long been used on its own. Disney's The Princess and the Frog made Tiana the first African-American Disney princess in 2009. The name ranked number 347 in 2000 and spiked to number 331 in 2010 right after the film; it has eased since and stands at number 598 in 2025.