Girl nameCurrently #51 in the USSteady
Maya
MY-uh//ˈmaɪə//
2 syllablesPeak year: 20064 lettersStarts with M
Meaning & origin
Water, or illusion, or mother
Maya draws from several distinct traditions: in Hebrew it can be a form of Maayan (water/spring) or relate to Miriam; in Sanskrit it refers to the concept of illusion in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy; and in Greek mythology Maia was the mother of Hermes. This layered, cross-cultural richness has made it a globally popular name.
Maya's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Maya |
|---|---|
| 1940 | 5 |
| 1942 | 5 |
| 1943 | 5 |
| 1949 | 10 |
| 1950 | 7 |
| 1951 | 8 |
| 1952 | 7 |
| 1953 | 15 |
| 1954 | 9 |
| 1955 | 9 |
| 1956 | 11 |
| 1957 | 12 |
| 1958 | 13 |
| 1959 | 20 |
| 1960 | 28 |
| 1961 | 19 |
| 1962 | 35 |
| 1963 | 23 |
| 1964 | 37 |
| 1965 | 29 |
| 1966 | 50 |
| 1967 | 45 |
| 1968 | 67 |
| 1969 | 96 |
| 1970 | 142 |
| 1971 | 135 |
| 1972 | 147 |
| 1973 | 123 |
| 1974 | 169 |
| 1975 | 192 |
| 1976 | 212 |
| 1977 | 343 |
| 1978 | 296 |
| 1979 | 385 |
| 1980 | 397 |
| 1981 | 323 |
| 1982 | 347 |
| 1983 | 290 |
| 1984 | 241 |
| 1985 | 251 |
| 1986 | 233 |
| 1987 | 287 |
| 1988 | 289 |
| 1989 | 355 |
| 1990 | 652 |
| 1991 | 575 |
| 1992 | 696 |
| 1993 | 1,021 |
| 1994 | 1,130 |
| 1995 | 1,241 |
| 1996 | 1,452 |
| 1997 | 1,676 |
| 1998 | 2,695 |
| 1999 | 2,862 |
| 2000 | 3,025 |
| 2001 | 3,015 |
| 2002 | 3,550 |
| 2003 | 3,862 |
| 2004 | 3,771 |
| 2005 | 4,439 |
| 2006 | 5,053 |
| 2007 | 4,706 |
| 2008 | 4,278 |
| 2009 | 4,405 |
| 2010 | 3,980 |
| 2011 | 4,031 |
| 2012 | 3,987 |
| 2013 | 3,833 |
| 2014 | 3,957 |
| 2015 | 4,131 |
| 2016 | 4,094 |
| 2017 | 4,046 |
| 2018 | 3,918 |
| 2019 | 3,820 |
| 2020 | 3,750 |
| 2021 | 4,080 |
| 2022 | 4,244 |
| 2023 | 4,085 |
| 2024 | 4,220 |
Maya through the decades
- Maya peaked in 2006, when 5,053 babies were named Maya in the US.
- The 2020s were Maya's strongest decade, averaging 4,076 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Maya has fallen 5% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Maya currently ranks #51 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Maya
Variants & spellings
MaiaMya
Famous people named Maya
- Maya Angelou — poet and author