Mia is a diminutive of different names, including Amelia, Emilia, Amalia, but most likely Maria. It has been the most popular over the last 20 years and is used in many languages. Maria is a name used in the New Testament, ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Miryam. There are several possible meanings of Miryam, some of them being: "lots of bitterness", "wished for child", "bitter", "rebellious". Mary is the name of different characters in New Testament, the most important ones being the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene. The name has been extremely popular for centuries, especially among Christians.