Maya
Maya was the 62nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,712 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 49th; the most babies were born in 2006 (5,047). Over the last ten years it has moved up 6 places. More babies were named Maya in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Sanskrit
Say it MY-uh /ˈmaɪə/
- Rank in 2025
- #62 girls, down 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,712girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20065,047 babies
- Total since 1880
- 123,750babies recorded
What does the name Maya mean?
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
Maya popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 163 since 1975.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #62 | 3,712 |
| 2020 | #61 | 3,746 |
| 2010 | #66 | 3,971 |
| 2000 | #113 | 3,019 |
| 1990 | #399 | 652 |
| 1980 | #506 | 398 |
| 1970 | #914 | 142 |
| 1960 | #2,228 | 28 |
| 1950 | #4,594 | 7 |
| 1940 | #4,819 | 5 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Maya, counting every spelling?
Maya is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #56 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #62 for Maya 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 Maya?
3,712 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Maya (1.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Maya 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 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Maya.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Maya?
About 122,200 people born in the US named Maya are alive today, with a median age of 16; half are between 8 and 23. That makes Maya 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.
Maya by state
How common Maya was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (4.8×), Hawaii (3.4×), Massachusetts (2.5×), Vermont (2.4×), New Hampshire (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, North Dakota, Alabama.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Maya: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Maya, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Maya · Sibling names for Maya
Questions about the name Maya
What does Maya 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 Maya?
Maya was the 62nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,712 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 49th; the most babies were born in 2006 (5,047). Over the last ten years it has moved up 6 places. More babies were named Maya in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Maya a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Maya in the US.
Where is Maya most popular?
In 2021–2025, Maya was most common in District of Columbia (12.15 per 1,000 girls), followed by Hawaii and Massachusetts.