| Nia | Kamaria | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Purpose | Moonlight |
| Origin | swahili | swahili |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | NEE-ah | kah-MAR-ee-ah |
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2000 (1,033) | 2008 (134) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Vintage | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Nia | Kamaria |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,932 | 396 |
| 2010s | 6,546 | 740 |
| 2000s | 8,571 | 973 |
| 1990s | 5,283 | 556 |
| 1980s | 1,198 | 232 |
| 1970s | 788 | 108 |
| 1960s | 85 | 0 |
| 1950s | 19 | 0 |
Swahili, 'purpose, intention,' from Arabic niyya. Also one of the seven Kwanzaa principles. Chiefly feminine.
Kamaria is a Swahili name meaning 'moonlight' or 'like the moon,' derived from Arabic qamar ('moon'). Common in East Africa. The lunar meaning is well supported.
Nia and Kamaria are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Nia means Purpose (swahili origin), while Kamaria means Moonlight (swahili origin).
In US records, Nia first appears in 0 and Kamaria in 0, so Nia has the longer recorded history.