When I was younger, I wanted a longer name, like Charlotte. I thought lengthy names had an elegance and sophistication that my 3-character name could never achieve. I couldn’t understand why my parents wanted to name me something so short and simple. In elementary school I never met anyone named Mia, but thinking back on it, this makes sense. I spent my childhood in rural Spain and our family traveled frequently around Europe. In quite a few European languages, like Spanish and Italian, Mia means “mine” (“Mia”). I got used to hearing my name being used casually in conversations, typically in reference to an object rather than a person. My name was something a toddler could say when crying about toys or food, something that could be said without care, with a self-serving intent.

Growing up and seeing characters named Mia in movies like La La Land, Pulp Fiction, and The Princess Diaries gave me a larger understanding of my identity. Mia Dolan, Mia Wallace, and Mia Thermopolis have nothing specific in common but they are all strikingly unique in their own ways. Through them, I learned that the name Mia could be whatever I wanted it to be. My name is as sacred or as common as I wish it to be. 

Nowadays, I love my name. Some of the best characters in fiction share it, and when I order at a coffee shop, no one gets my name wrong. If I’m worried someone will spell my name differently, spelling out my name takes just one second. Short and simple, easy to remember, what more could I want in a first name?

Works Cited

“Mia.” Behind the Name, behindthename.com/name/mia. Accessed 17 Feb. 2025. 

“Popularity of name Mia.” U.S. SSA Baby Name Database, U.S. Social Security Administration, ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.