Maia
Maia was the 433rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 715 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 420th with 752 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 120 places. More babies were named Maia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Maya) Origin uncertain · Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Sanskrit
- Rank in 2025
- #433 girls, up 65 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 715girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2022752 babies
- Total since 1880
- 18,200babies recorded
What does the name Maia mean?
Maia is a spelling of Maya, pronounced the same way, so it shares Maya's meaning and origin.
Maya has several separate origins. In Greek myth Maia was a nymph, the mother of Hermes; Roman Maia was a goddess of growth associated with the month of May. Maya is also a modern form of Maria (Mary) in several European languages and in Hebrew use. In Sanskrit, māyā means 'illusion' or the creative power of the divine, and Māyā is the name of the mother of the Buddha. Which meaning applies depends on the family's background; all three are well attested.
Μαῖα (Ancient Greek, “Maia, mother of Hermes”)माया (Sanskrit, “māyā, illusion”)Maria (Latin, “Mary”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several independent origins (Greek/Latin Maia, a form of Maria, Sanskrit māyā). No single meaning applies to every Maya.
Related names: Maia, Mya, Mia, Maria, Mayah.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Maya', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'Maia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mary', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Maia popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #433 | 715 |
| 2020 | #498 | 616 |
| 2010 | #620 | 475 |
| 2000 | #550 | 475 |
| 1990 | #1,856 | 77 |
| 1980 | #1,165 | 116 |
| 1970 | #1,747 | 52 |
| 1960 | #3,832 | 12 |
| 1950 | #5,071 | 6 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Maia, counting every spelling?
Maia is a spelling of Maya, a name family that ranked #56 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #433 for Maia on its own. Together these spellings went to 4,527 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maya | 3,712 | #62 | 20,363 |
| Maia | 715 | #433 | 3,545 |
| Mayah | 61 | #2,802 | 370 |
| Maiah | 33 | #4,315 | 139 |
| Maaya | 6 | #14,262 | 31 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Maia?
715 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Maia (0.20 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Maia born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 12 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Maia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Maia?
About 18,000 people born in the US named Maia are alive today, with a median age of 16; half are between 7 and 25. That makes Maia mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Maia by state
How common Maia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (8.2×), Florida (2.1×), Massachusetts (2.0×), Nevada (2.0×), Connecticut (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Kentucky, Louisiana, Idaho.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Maia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Maia, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Maia
What does Maia mean?
The origin of Maya is uncertain: several independent origins (Greek/Latin Maia, a form of Maria, Sanskrit māyā). No single meaning applies to every Maya.
How popular is the name Maia?
Maia was the 433rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 715 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 420th with 752 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 120 places. More babies were named Maia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Maia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Maia in the US.
Where is Maia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Maia was most common in Hawaii (3.58 per 1,000 girls), followed by District of Columbia and Rhode Island.