lydia

L1Y4D2I1A1
/ˈlɪ.di.ə/

proper noun

A historical region and ancient kingdom in western Asia Minor, in modern-day Turkey.

Less commonScrabble 9

Meanings

lydia1

noun
  1. pluralplural of lydion

Lydia2

proper noun

alternative Lidia

  1. historicalA historical region and ancient kingdom in western Asia Minor, in modern-day Turkey.
  2. biblicalA woman converted by St. Paul; presumably named for ancestry or residence in Lydia.

    And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 16:14
  3. A female given name from Ancient Greek.

    Lydia was a stout, well-grown girl of fifteen, with a fine complexion and good-humoured countenance; a favourite with her mother, whose affection had brought her into public at an early age.

    1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], “Chapter 9”, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC
    1 more example

    The first three, Macklin, Lydia, and Randall, were the special ones. Even those names, we thought, showed greater imagination, greater involvement on our parents' part, than ours did: Nina, Mary, Sarah.

    1990, Sue Miller, Family Pictures, Harper & Row, →ISBN, page 5

Origin

  1. Ancient GreekΛυδία“the region of Lydia”
  2. EnglishLydia

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Λυδία (Ludía, “the region of Lydia”), from λυδία (ludía, “beautiful one, noble one”), a feminine form of Λυδός (Ludós) (Lydus, from λυδός (ludós) (lydus)). The region of Lydia is said to be named for a king Λυδός (Ludós) (Lydus, from λυδός (ludós) (lydus)); the given name Lydia originally indicated ancestry or residence in the region of Lydia.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek Λῡδίᾱ
  • Λῡδίᾱ (Lūdíā)historical region
Arabic لِيدِيَا, لِيدِيَا
  • لِيدِيَا (līdiyā)biblical woman
  • لِيدِيَا (līdiyā)female given name
Bulgarian Ли́дия
  • Ли́дия (Lídija)female given name
Catalan Lídia, Lídia
  • Lídiahistorical region
  • Lídiafemale given name
Chinese Cantonese 呂底亞 /吕底亚
  • 呂底亞 /吕底亚 (leoi⁵ dai² aa³)biblical woman
Chinese Mandarin 呂底亞 /吕底亚, 利季婭 /利季娅
  • 呂底亞 /吕底亚 (Lǚdǐyà)biblical woman
  • 利季婭 /利季娅 (Lìjìyà)female given name
Czech Lýdie
  • Lýdiefemale given name
Danish Lydien, Lydia
  • Lydienhistorical region
  • Lydiabiblical woman
  • Lydiafemale given name
Esperanto Lidio
  • Lidiofemale given name
Estonian Lüüdia, Lüüdia
  • Lüüdiahistorical region
  • Lüüdiabiblical woman
  • Liidiafemale given name
Finnish Lyydia, Lyydia
  • Lyydiahistorical region
  • Lyydiabiblical woman
  • Lyylifemale given name
  • Lyydiafemale given name
French Lydie, Lydie
  • Lydiehistorical region
  • Lydiebiblical woman
  • Lydiefemale given name
  • Lydiafemale given name
German Lydien, Lydia
  • Lydienhistorical region
  • Lydiabiblical woman
  • Lydiafemale given name
Greek Λυδία, Λυδία
  • Λυδία (Lydía)historical region
  • Λυδία (Lydía)biblical woman
  • Λυδία (Lydía)female given name
Hawaiian Ludia, Lukia
  • Ludiabiblical woman
  • Lukiafemale given name
  • Liliafemale given name
Hebrew לוּד, לִידְיָה
  • לוּד (Lud)historical region
  • לִידְיָה (Lídyāh)biblical woman
  • לִידִיָה (Lídiyah)female given name
Hindi लीडिया, लुदिया
  • लीडिया (līḍiyā)historical region
  • लुदिया (ludiyā)biblical woman
Hungarian Lídia, Lilla
  • Lídiafemale given name
  • Lillafemale given name
Irish Lidia
  • Lidiahistorical region
Italian Lidia, Lidia
  • Lidiabiblical woman
  • Lidiafemale given name
Japanese リュディア, リューディア
  • リュディア (Ryudia)historical region
  • リューディア (Ryūdia)historical region
  • リディア (Ridia)female given name
Korean 리디아
  • 리디아 (ridia)female given name
Latin Lȳdia
  • Lȳdiahistorical region
Latvian Lidija, Lidija
  • Lidijabiblical woman
  • Lidijafemale given name
Māori Riria, Riria
  • Ririabiblical woman
  • Ririafemale given name
Norwegian Lydia, Lydia
  • Lydiabiblical woman
  • Lydiafemale given name
Persian لیدیه, لیدیا
  • لیدیه (lidiye)historical region
  • لیدیا (lidiyâ)biblical woman
  • لیدیا (lidiyâ)female given name
Polish Lidia, Lidia
  • Lidiahistorical region
  • Lidiabiblical woman
  • Lidiafemale given name
  • Lidkafemale given name
Portuguese Lídia, Lídia
  • Lídiahistorical region
  • Lídiabiblical woman
  • Lídiafemale given name
Romanian Lidia
  • Lidiafemale given name
Russian Ли́дия
  • Ли́дия (Lídija)female given name
Slovak Lýdia
  • Lýdiafemale given name
Spanish Lidia, Lidia
  • Lidiahistorical region
  • Lidiabiblical woman
  • Lidiafemale given name
Swedish Lydia, Lydia
  • Lydiabiblical woman
  • Lydiafemale given name
Turkish Lidya, Lidya
  • Lidyahistorical region
  • Lidyafemale given name
Ukrainian Лідія
  • Лідія (Lidija)female given name

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with lydia

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

lydia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lydia

MLA

“lydia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lydia. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lydia,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lydia.

Source: lydia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.