In a few years, a feminine first name of Latin origin, short and very sonorous, has jumped by more than 50% in French maternity wards. Worn by around 4,100 French women, this three-letter first name ticks all the boxes of the current trend for short first names. It remains rare without being unknown, easy to pronounce everywhere. Behind its simplicity, it also carries a spiritual heritage older than the fashion that revives it today.
This first name is Pia. It has been used in France since 1905, and really took off at the end of the 2010s. There are 198 little Pias born in 2019, compared to around 330 in 2024, when Prenomeo counts 335 based on the same data from theINSEE. The statistical institute rounds certain numbers to a multiple of five, which explains these slight differences, but the trend is the same: the curve is clearly upwards.
Pia: a first name in 3 letters which is growing throughout France
Pia today has approximately 4,100 carriers
in France and is in the top 200 female first names. We are far from the star names of the 2010s, but high enough for future parents to come across it in their entourage without having the feeling of a name already seen everywhere.
This clear rise of Pia takes place from the end of the 2010s, when it went from less than 200 births per year to more than 300 in 2024. This rise is part of the current taste for short first names like Lia, Mia or Ava, easy to carry from childhood to adulthood.
Latin origin of Pia, meaning and character traits
The first name Pia comes directly from the Latin “pius/pia”, which means “pious” or “devoted”. It is celebrated on August 8 in memory of Saint Pia, a 3rd century martyr executed in Carthage for refusing to renounce her faith. Other calendars give August 21, or January 19 according to Nominis, the website of the Conference of Bishops of France, which explains the discrepancies that parents sometimes notice.
In terms of temperament, Pia is a passionate, committed and very determined personality. She sets high goals for herself and does not hesitate to set herself challenges, which she takes on with tenacity, while needing calm to channel strong emotional intensity. As a child, sports and games help her transform this sometimes angry energy into a positive engine, especially if those around her adopt a patient and forgiving attitude.
Pia, from the Basque Country with compound first names and celebrities
Traditionally given to Basque CountryPia has established itself well beyond this region, particularly in Île-de-France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Its brevity also makes it an ideal basis for compound first names like Marie-Pia, Pia-Lou or Pia-Rose, popularized by figures like the Princess of Bourbon-Parma, the actress Pia Zadora or Pia Wurtzbach, elected Miss Universe 2015.