Given name & surname
Afia
“born on a Friday”
Afia is used as a given name and a surname. One African interpretation is “born on a Friday.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One African interpretation is “born on a Friday.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is African.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1972. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Afia through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 621
- 0 boys · 621 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 30 babies
- 2025
- 25
- #5,102 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +5%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 25 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,102 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 4.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,062 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Afia’s family of names
Afia has a related form in Afi. In English usage, Afia has a related form in AAFIA. Afia has a related form in Affi.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Afia
- Afia CharlesAntiguan sprint athleteborn 1992
- Afia SchwarzeneggerGhanaian actor and media personalityborn 1982
- Afia PokuaGhanaian media journalist and editor
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Afia, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Safia
“one who is pure” · “having the lion's share”
>99% girls
Adila
“one who is just and fair” · “equal”
>99% girls
Yemaya
“an intelligent woman”
>99% girls
Mariama
“a gift from God”
>99% girls
Bahati
“one with good fortune”
14% boys · 86% girls
Anaya
“one who looks up to God”
>99% girls
Khadija
“a perfect woman” · “a child born prematurely”
>99% girls
Umi
“a giver of life”
17% boys · 83% girls