Zia (also spelled Ziya, Ḍiya , Dia or Diya, ) is a name of Arabic origin somewhat translating to "Shine". Notable people with this name include:

Given name

Ziaur Rahman Ziaur Rahman (19 January 193630 May 1981) was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the sixth president of Bangladesh from 1977 until Assassination of Ziaur Rahman, his assassination in 1981. One of the leading figures of t ...

, Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the sixth President of Bangladesh *

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (14 March 1929 – 28 September 1990), (Popularly known as Z. M. Dagar), was a North Indian (Hindustani music, Hindustani) classical musician, one of the 19th generation of Dagarvani, Dagar family dhrupad musicians. He ...

(1929–1990), popularly known as Z. M. Dagar, Indian musician *

Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim (; – January 29, 2007), also known as al-Ali bin Ali bin Abi Talib (Arabic: العلي بن علي بن أبي طالب), was an Iraqi militant who was the leader of an armed extremist Shia Islamist cult named Soldiers of ...

, Iraqi Shiite leader * Zia Inayat-Khan, (aka Pir Zia), spiritual leader of the Sufi Order International *

Zia Mahmood Mir Zia Mahmood (born 7 January 1946) is a Pakistani-American professional bridge player. He is a World Bridge Federation and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master. As of April 2011 he was the 10th-ranked World Grand Master. Biograp ...

, (born 1946), Pakistani contract bridge player *

Zia McCabe Zia McCabe (born Aimee Springer; June 2, 1975) is an American musician and realtor. She plays Keyboard instrument, keyboards, percussion and bass guitar, and is a member of American alternative rock band The Dandy Warhols. She is also a solo Disc ...

, (born 1975), American musician and founding member of The Dandy Warhols * Zia Mian, Pakistani physicist and nuclear expert *

Zia Mody Zia Jaydev Mody (born 19 July 1956) is an Indian corporate lawyer and businesswoman. She is the oldest daughter of Soli Sorabjee, a former Attorney General of India, and has three brothers, Jehangir, Jamshed, and Hormazd. Zia is one of the fou ...

, Indian legal consultant and businesswoman *

Zia Mohyeddin Zia Mohyeddin (; 20 June 1931 – 13 February 2023) was a British-Pakistani film actor, producer, director, and television broadcaster who appeared in both Pakistani cinema and television, as well as in British cinema and television throughout ...

(born 1933), Pakistani actor *

Zia Uddin Mufakkir al-Islām Ḍiyā' ad-Dīn ibn Muqaddas ʿAlī (; born 4 April 1941), better known simply as Zia Uddin () or reverentially as Nazim Saheb Huzur (), is a Bangladeshi Deobandi Islamic scholar, politician and educationist. He is currently ...

(born 1941), Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and politician * Zia Ul Shah, citizen of Pakistan held by the United States in Guantanamo *

Ziya Tong Ziya Tong is an English-born Canadian television personality and producer, formerly the co-host of Discovery Channel's long-running primetime science magazine, ''Daily Planet''.Denise Duguay, "Island tour too rushed", ''Leader Post'', Regina, Sa ...

, Canadian television host * Ziya Bazhaev, Chechen businessman * Zia-Allah Ezazi Maleki, Iranian Politician *

Diaa al-Din Dawoud Diaa al-Din Dawoud (name also spelled ''Diya el-Din Dawud'' or ''Diaaeddin Dawoud''; 26 March 1926 – 6 April 2011)

(1926-2011), Egyptian politician *

Ziauddin Sardar Ziauddin Sardar (; born 31 October 1951) is a British-Pakistani scholar, award-winning writer, cultural critic and public intellectual who specialises in Muslim thought, the future of Islam, futurology Critique of modernity, postmodernism an ...

(born 1951), Pakistani writer on Islam *Ziyaettin Doğan or

Ziya Doğan Ziyaettin Dogan (born 1 January 1961 in Gümüşhane, Turkey) is a UEFA Pro Licensed Turkish football manager. Career Ziya Doğan has played at Beşiktaş (1979–1987), Ankaragücü (1987–1990), Kocaelispor (1990–1992) and Zeytinburnusp ...

(born 1961), Turkish football manager *

Ziauddin Rizvi Shaheed Agha Ziauddin Rizvi () was a Pakistani Shi'a cleric born at Amphary, Gilgit, in a religious family. He completed his early schooling in Gilgit; he later moved to Lahore, and afterwards Iran, for higher religious education. He also visited t ...

(died 2005), Shi'a cleric from Gilgit *

Ziaeddin Niknafs Ziaeddin Niknafs (; born 19 September 1986) is an Iranian football defender who currently plays for Sanat Naft in Iran Pro League. He is a young left-footed defender who can play as both a left back and central defender. Club career He was ...

(born 1986), Iranian Footballer *

Ziauddin Butt General Khawaja Ziauddin Abbasi (), also known as Ziauddin Butt (), is a retired four-star rank army generalChaudhry, Aminullah (2009) Hijacking from the Ground: The Bizarre Story of Pk 805. Authorhouse. Pg 167 in the Pakistan Army, who served ...

, a Pakistani military officer jailed as a result of the 1999 Pakistani coup d'état *

Ziauddin (Afghan militia leader) Ziauddin is a citizen of Afghanistan, who helped lead the ouster of the Taliban. Ziauddin is a Tajik ethnic groupmember and was rewarded with command of some of the Afghan Transitional Authority's security forces in Paktia Province in 2002. He ...

, Afghan militia leader * Ziauddin (cricketer), Pakistani cricketer *

Zia Yusuf Muhammad Ziauddin Yusuf (; born 1986) is a multi-millionaire British businessman and political campaigner who has served as the head of Reform UK Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) since June 2025. He previously served as Chairman of Ref ...

(born 1986/1987), British businessman and politician

Surname

* Grace Zia Chu (1899–1999) author of Chinese cookbook *

Helen Zia Helen Zia (born 1952) is a Chinese American journalist and activist for Asian American and LGBTQ rights. After Vincent Chin's murder, Zia helped found American Citizens for Justice, which successfully lobbied for a federal trial. She is consi ...

(born 1952), American journalist * Junaid Zia (born 1983), Pakistani cricketer *

Khaleda Zia Begum Khaleda Zia (born August–September 1945) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and the second fema ...

, former prime minister of Bangladesh *

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (12 August 192417 August 1988) was a Pakistani military officer and statesman who served as the sixth president of Pakistan from 1978 until Death of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, his death in an airplane crash in 1988. He also se ...

, sixth president of Pakistan * Sameer Zia (born 1981), sportsman from the United Arab Emirates *

Yasin Zia General Mohammad Yāsin Ziā (), is an Afghan military officer and politician. He is a former Chief of General Staff, former Deputy Defense Minister, and former governor of Takhar Province, Afghanistan. Zia has also served as head of Afghanista ...

, former Chief of General Staff for Afghanistan

Known as

Anastasia de Torby Lady Anastasia Mikhailovna Wernher (' Countess Anastasia Mikhailovna de Torby; 9 September 1892 – 7 December 1977), also known as Lady Zia Wernher, was a German-born Russian-British aristocrat and thoroughbred racehorse owner. She was the el ...

(1892–1977), also known as Lady Zia Wernher, Russian aristocrat * Park Ji-a (born 1972), South Korean actress also known as Zia * Park Ji-hye (born 1986), South Korean singer known by the stage name Zia

Fictional characters

*Zia, a character in the animated television series ''

The Mysterious Cities of Gold , known outside of Japan as the first season of ''The Mysterious Cities of Gold'' ( French: ''Les Mystérieuses Cités d'Or''), is an animated series which was produced by MK, NHK, DiC Audiovisuel, CLT and animated by Studio Pierrot. Th ...

'' *Zia, a character in ''The Red Pyramid'' novel *Zia, the main character in the film '' Wristcutters: A Love Story'' *Zia, a character in the video game

Bastion A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...

*Dr. Zia Rodriguez, a character in the film '' Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'' {{Given name, type=both Arabic-language unisex given names Pakistani masculine given names Masculine given names