It's actually a common name in Portugal on its own right now. It might have only been popular as a nickname before but recently (2018) it entered the top 100 of the most popular girls names, so it's also used a lot on its own now.
― Anonymous User 4/22/2019
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It is also a diminutive of Gabriela, in Portuguese.
In the south of Portugal, especially in the Alentejo region, Bia is a traditional nickname for Maria.Bia is also accepted as a stand-alone name, in reference to the mythological character, though this is quite uncommon.