Variant of Audrey, from Old English 'æðelþryð' meaning 'noble strength.'
Audria is a feminine variant of Audrey, one of the most historically rich names in the English canon. Audrey itself descends from the Old English *Æðelþryð* — a compound of *æðel* (noble) and *þryð* (strength), yielding the resonant meaning "noble strength." The name was carried by Saint Æthelthryth of Ely, a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon queen who founded a great monastery on the Isle of Ely and became one of the most venerated saints in medieval England.
Her name, worn down by centuries of use, gave English the word "tawdry" — a corruption of "Saint Audrey" applied to the cheap lace sold at her feast-day fairs, a linguistic footnote that the name itself transcends entirely. The Audria spelling introduces a softer, more lyrical quality to the name — the final *-ia* suffix lending it a continental, almost musical femininity reminiscent of Italian or Spanish name forms. It likely emerged in the 19th and early 20th centuries as American parents adapted classic names to create distinctive variations for their daughters, a practice especially common in African American naming traditions where creativity and individuality in name-giving carry deep cultural significance.
While Audrey experienced a major 20th-century renaissance largely through the iconic elegance of Audrey Hepburn — whose combination of gamine beauty and genuine warmth made the name synonymous with sophisticated grace — Audria has remained a rarer, more intimate choice. It appeals to parents who want the deep etymological roots and the noble resonance of the original while giving their daughter a name that is unmistakably her own. The name balances heritage and individuality with quiet confidence.