Girl's name
Maja
Say it MY-uh
Greek origin 2 syllables
Where Maja is loved, common and rare
Loved in Poland. Common across Sweden, Norway, six German cities and four more places. Rare in Switzerland, Ireland, the Netherlands and five more places.
1 in 1,243 girls born in Ireland in 2025
Poland 3rdSweden 16thNorway 27th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 21 of the 40 official lists, among them Poland (3rd), Sweden (16th) and Norway (27th).
Show all 21 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 3rd 2025 | 3,873 | 1 in 31 |
| Sweden | 16th 2025 | 380 | about 1 in 106 |
| Norway | 27th 2025 | 178 | 1 in 122 |
| Hungary | 30th 2025 | 289 | rank only |
| Munich city | 42nd 2025 | 28 | about 1 in 150 |
| Berlin city | 55th 2023 | 50 | about 1 in 290 |
| Slovenia | 61st 2025 | 30 | about 1 in 220 |
| Austria | 62nd 2025 | 128 | 1 in 279 |
| Cologne city | 84th 2023 | 15 | about 1 in 410 |
| Switzerland | 197th 2025 | 36 | 1 in 944 |
| Ireland | 247th 2025 | 17 | 1 in 1,243 |
| The Netherlands | 261st 2025 | 56 | about 1 in 1,090 |
| England and Wales | 468th 2025 | 85 | 1 in 2,980 |
| Scotland | 539th 2025 | 5 | 1 in 3,578 |
| Italy | 671st 2024 | 16 | 1 in 11,198 |
| Ontario province | 1409th 2024 | 7 | about 1 in 7,781 |
| France | 3366th 2025 | 5 | 1 in 57,359 |
| Denmark | 35th 2025 | 179 | rank only |
| Rostock city | 46th 2025 | 4 | about 1 in 246 |
| Bonn city | 58th 2025 | 10 | about 1 in 302 |
| Leipzig city | 66th 2025 | 8 | about 1 in 328 |
Rare, below the listed names: Northern Ireland, Quebec, British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Catalonia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Belügyminisztérium, Nyilvántartások (kormany.hu) (Hungary); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Statistični urad Republike Slovenije (SURS), SiStat (Slovenia); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Statistics Denmark (DST) (Denmark); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig). How we count, and every source
About the name
Maja has two main roots. In Scandinavian and German use it began as a diminutive of Maria, and in Swedish that pet form goes back to the Middle Ages. In Polish it is a learned borrowing from the Greek Maia, a figure of classical mythology.
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It is said MY-uh, exactly like Maya, since the j in these languages sounds like an English y. Maia, Maija and Maaja are related forms, and Maya is the usual English spelling of the same sound.
Maja is one of the leading girls' names in Poland, in the top three there, and it is a favourite in Sweden and Norway too. In English-speaking countries it is used only lightly, mainly in Ireland and Britain. In Canada it peaked around 2008, and it is now easing back in most of the countries where it is used.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- MY-uh, 2 syllables
- Origin
- Greek
- Other spellings
- Maya
- Maia
- Maija
- Maaja
Etymology
Scandinavian and German diminutive of Maria (Swedish: a medieval diminutive); in Polish a learned borrowing from Ancient Greek Maia.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 1 of 18 regions, falling in 8.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 183 | 173 | 192 | 197 | 215 | 314 | 302 | 362 | 425 | 468 |
| Scotland | 103 | 220 | 182 | 191 | 170 | 236 | 303 | 323 | 244 | 539 |
| Northern Ireland | 137 | 164 | 238 | 178 | 246 | 350 | 354 | 253 | ||
| Ireland | 116 | 122 | 116 | 123 | 264 | 190 | 195 | 495 | 243 | 247 |
| Ontario | 705 | 825 | 1007 | 1240 | 736 | 847 | 896 | 846 | 1409 | |
| France | 1716 | 2565 | 1989 | 1995 | 1984 | 1957 | 2504 | 2420 | 2389 | 3366 |
| The Netherlands | 175 | 169 | 175 | 198 | 236 | 226 | 343 | 244 | 261 | |
| Austria | 75 | 81 | 61 | 70 | 77 | 68 | 66 | 72 | 64 | 62 |
| Switzerland | 166 | 184 | 211 | 233 | 191 | 195 | 162 | 173 | 209 | 197 |
| Berlin | 48 | 31 | 39 | 43 | 56 | 48 | 60 | 55 | ||
| Munich | 49 | 37 | 43 | 48 | 46 | 71 | 61 | 58 | 47 | 42 |
| Cologne | 60 | 75 | 53 | 64 | 53 | 48 | 67 | 84 | ||
| Bonn | 59 | 74 | 59 | 50 | 28 | 82 | 70 | 53 | 61 | 58 |
| Leipzig | 40 | 27 | 47 | 56 | 64 | 43 | 61 | 46 | 30 | 66 |
| Rostock | 136 | 51 | 18 | 53 | 37 | 52 | 82 | 47 | 31 | 46 |
| Norway | 27 | 22 | 24 | 29 | 19 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 22 | 27 |
| Sweden | 13 | 20 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 16 |
| Denmark | 19 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 36 | 35 |
| Iceland | 122 | 83 | ||||||||
| Italy | 487 | 465 | 567 | 576 | 570 | 671 | ||||
| Poland | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| Hungary | 12 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 30 |
| Slovenia | 35 | 45 | 37 | 43 | 40 | 38 | 45 | 38 | 53 | 61 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 468 | 85 | 33.6 |
| 2024 | 425 | 101 | 39.1 |
| 2023 | 362 | 116 | 45.2 |
| 2022 | 302 | 148 | 56.2 |
| 2021 | 314 | 149 | 54.4 |
| 2020 | 215 | 226 | 84.2 |
| 2019 | 197 | 248 | 88.6 |
| 2018 | 192 | 277 | 96.1 |
| 2017 | 173 | 316 | 105.7 |
| 2016 | 183 | 296 | 96.4 |
| 2015 | 173 | 315 | 102.3 |
| 2014 | 168 | 326 | 106.3 |
| 2013 | 134 | 396 | 128.4 |
| 2012 | 129 | 434 | 134.8 |
| 2011 | 128 | 449 | 139.7 |
| 2010 | 134 | 427 | 133.0 |
| 2009 | 135 | 409 | 130.5 |
| 2008 | 160 | 331 | 104.8 |
| 2007 | 282 | 168 | 54.9 |
| 2006 | 456 | 85 | 28.4 |
| 2005 | 951 | 28 | 9.7 |
| 2004 | 1012 | 24 | 8.4 |
| 2003 | 933 | 26 | 9.3 |
| 2002 | 1245 | 16 | 6.0 |
| 2001 | 1359 | 14 | 5.2 |
| 2000 | 1475 | 12 | 4.4 |
| 1999 | 1473 | 12 | 4.3 |
| 1998 | 1571 | 11 | 3.8 |
| 1997 | 2152 | 7 | 2.4 |
| 1996 | 1914 | 8 | 2.7 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Ontario and British Columbia since 1925
Half of the babies named Maja in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 2010. First recorded in 1995. Her peak year there: 2008, at 29.6 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Maja per 100,000 girls born in Ontario and British Columbia, by five-year period. Her 2008 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (1917-2024), OGL-Ontario; BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (1924-2023), OGL-BC.
Sister names for Maja
1 in 852 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Maja.
1 in 2,982 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Maja.
1 in 358 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Maja.
1 in 3,521 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Maja.
1 in 2,113 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Maja.
1 in 426 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Maja.
1 in 347 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Maja.
1 in 1,111 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Maja.
1 in 1,041 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Maja.
1 in 1,218 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Maja.
Middle names for Maja
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Maja Grace
2-1 beats · initials MG
Changes the beat after Maja: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Maja Olivia
2-4 beats · initials MO · Maja slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Maja: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Maja slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Maja Sophia
2-3 beats · initials MS
Changes the beat after Maja: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Maja Rose
2-1 beats · initials MR
Changes the beat after Maja: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Maja Maria
2-3 beats · initials MM
Changes the beat after Maja: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Maja Emily
2-3 beats · initials ME · Maja slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Maja: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Maja slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Maja Julia
2-3 beats · initials MJ
Changes the beat after Maja: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
Maja Charlotte
2-2 beats · initials MC
A close match on style, era and popularity. Same length as Maja: 2 syllables.
Same style as Maja
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 2,113 in Ireland
90% alike: moves with Maja across countries and decades.
1 in 19,483 in England and Wales
89% alike: moves with Maja across countries and decades.
1 in 1,041 in Northern Ireland
87% alike: moves with Maja across countries and decades.
1 in 18,092 in England and Wales
87% alike: moves with Maja across countries and decades.
1 in 3,521 in Ireland
87% alike: moves with Maja across countries and decades.
1 in 2,113 in Ireland
86% alike: moves with Maja across countries and decades.
1 in 4,473 in Scotland
85% alike: moves with Maja across countries and decades.
1 in 42,214 in England and Wales
85% alike: moves with Maja across countries and decades.
Famous people named Maja
Maja Keuc, Maja Włoszczowska, Maja Dahlqvist, Maja Chwalińska, Maja Ognjenović, Maja Savić, Maja Haderlap and Maja Gojković.
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Slovenian singer born 1992
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Polish mountain biker born 1983
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Swedish cross-country skier born 1994
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Polish female tennis player born 2001
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Serbian female volleyball player born 1984
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Montenegrin handball player born 1976
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Austrian writer born 1961
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Serbian politician born 1963
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Maja
4 questions, on how popular she is, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Maja?
Her best rank is No. 3 in Poland in 2025, about 1 in 31 girls. She is in the published lists of 21 of our 40 regions.
How do you pronounce Maja?
MY-uh, with 2 syllables.
Is Maja getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 1 of 18 regions, falling in 8.
Which sister names go with Maja?
The deck's top five sisters for Maja: Lena, Sofie, Lilly, Aleksandra and Klara. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.