Mija
A worn-down form of Marija, the Slavic Maria, shortened until only the fondness was left. Still rare enough that most Poles have never met one, though more girls got the name last year than in years past.
Mija Pronunciation
Mija is pronounced MEE-yah (/ˈmija/).
What Mija means
Where Mija comes from and what it has meant to the people who carry it.
Mija grew out of Marija, the Slavic form of Maria, worn down over generations into something shorter and fonder. As a diminutive it belongs to the family of pet names Polish speakers build from longer roots, the way Marysia and Maja also lean on Maria. The short form keeps the affection and drops the formal weight.
In Polish the name reads as miła, kochana: dear, beloved. That sense sits close to the diminutive itself, since a shortened name is usually a tender one. The meaning was attached through use rather than fixed by any single root.
On a school register in Poland, Mija would sit among the Mai and the Leny, a name that looks complete on its own. It is short. Two syllables, four letters, and a clear line back to Marija.
How many people are named Mija
1 in 114436 women in Poland is named Mija. 197 people carry it in the 2025 register: rank #2250 among female names.
Mija's popularity over time
21 girls were given the name in 2025, ranking #503 among newborns. It has been climbing since 2012.
Where Mija is most popular
Mija is most popular in Łódź, 121% above the national average (14 girls born 2019–2025), followed by Lower Silesian (+91%) and West Pomeranian (+90%). It is least common in Podlaskie and Pomeranian, 39% and 32% below average respectively.
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Łódź14 girls born+121%
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Lower Silesian15 girls born+91%
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West Pomeranian8 girls born+90%
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Greater Poland18 girls born+67%
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Lesser Poland13 girls born+15%
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Masovian20 girls born+13%
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Silesian10 girls born−12%
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Warmian-Masurian3 girls born−16%
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Pomeranian5 girls born−32%
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Podlaskie2 girls born−39%
Mija as a middle name
Mija is a first name for 197 women in Poland and a middle name for another 30, an 87/13 split. In the women's middle-name ranking it sits 1291st, between Maxine (30) and Olympia (30).
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#1289 Margit30
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#1290 Maxine30
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#1291 Mija30
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#1292 Olympia30
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#1293 Sofi30