Girl's name
Maya
Say it MY-uh
Roots in Hebrew, Latin, Greek and Sanskrit illusion; supernatural power (Sanskrit maya)
2 syllables
Where Maya is loved, common and rare
Loved in Israel and Ontario. Common across British Columbia, six German cities, the UK and 14 more places. Rare in Italy, Poland and Catalonia.
1 in 132 girls born in Scotland in 2025
Israel 5thOntario 7thBritish Columbia 15th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 29 of the 40 official lists, among them Israel (5th), Ontario (7th) and British Columbia (15th).
Show all 29 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel מאיה | 5th 2024 | 1,111 | about 1 in 71 |
| Ontario province | 7th 2024 | 374 | about 1 in 146 |
| British Columbia province | 15th 2023 | 85 | about 1 in 141 |
| Scotland | 20th 2025 | 136 | 1 in 132 |
| England and Wales | 28th 2025 | 1,259 | 1 in 201 |
| Berlin city | 34th 2023 | 71 | about 1 in 204 |
| Victoria state | 38th 2025 | 142 | rank only |
| Ireland | 40th 2025 | 108 | 1 in 196 |
| South Australia state | 45th 2025 | 33 | rank only |
| Munich city | 48th 2025 | 25 | about 1 in 168 |
| The Netherlands | 51st 2025 | 249 | about 1 in 245 |
| Quebec province | 51st 2025 | 98 | about 1 in 265 |
| New South Wales state | 53rd 2025 | 124 | rank only |
| Queensland state | 57th 2025 | 89 | rank only |
| Cologne city | 63rd 2023 | 20 | about 1 in 307 |
| New Zealand | 74th 2025 | 50 | rank only |
| France | 76th 2025 | 635 | 1 in 452 |
| Austria | 83rd 2025 | 94 | 1 in 380 |
| Northern Ireland | 84th 2025 | 25 | 1 in 291 |
| Norway | 86th 2025 | 70 | 1 in 311 |
| Switzerland | 88th 2025 | 81 | 1 in 420 |
| Sweden | 100th 2025 | 106 | about 1 in 379 |
| Italy | 124th 2024 | 211 | 1 in 849 |
| Poland | 124th 2025 | 90 | 1 in 1,331 |
| Catalonia region | 132nd 2025 | 33 | 1 in 584 |
| Bonn city | 20th 2025 | 18 | about 1 in 168 |
| Leipzig city | 30th 2025 | 13 | about 1 in 202 |
| Moscow city Майя | 35th 2025 | 421 | rank only |
| Rostock city | 62nd 2025 | 3 | about 1 in 328 |
Rare, below the listed names: Spain, Hungary and Slovenia.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), 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.
Israel publishes names in Hebrew script. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Moscow publishes names in Cyrillic. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Sources: Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (Israel); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Registry of BDM Victoria (DataVic) (Victoria); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); SA Attorney-General's Department, Births, Deaths and Marriages (data.sa.gov.au) (South Australia); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (Data.NSW) (New South Wales); Queensland Registry of BDM (Qld Open Data Portal) (Queensland); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), SmartStart (New Zealand); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Moscow Civil Registry Office (ZAGS), data.mos.ru (Moscow); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock). How we count, and every source
About the name
Several roads lead to Maya, and each carries its own meaning. In Sanskrit, maya means 'illusion' and also 'supernatural power', with further senses of art and wisdom, and Maya was the name of the Buddha's mother. The name is also a modern variant of Maria, which comes from Hebrew, and a variant of Maia, which passed into Latin from Greek. Families can take whichever of these readings speaks to them.
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MY-uh has two syllables and an open, easy sound. Spellings shift from country to country: Maja, Maia, Mya, Miya and the Finnish Maija are all in use, with Amaya as a longer relative.
In Israel it ranks among the top five girls' names, and it is in the top ten in Ontario and the top twenty in Scotland. It is rising in several countries, and in France it reached its highest point only in 2024.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- MY-uh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
illusion; supernatural power (Sanskrit maya)
- Origin
- Hebrew, Latin, Greek and Sanskrit
- Other spellings
- Maja
- Maia
- Amaya
- Mya
- Maija
- Miya
- Maaja
- Mea
- Moya
Etymology
Several sources: a modern variant of Maria (Hebrew); a variant of Maia (Latin, from Greek Maia); or Sanskrit maya, glossed as art, wisdom, supernatural power, and illusion, the name of the Buddha's mother.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 7 of 28 regions, falling in 4.
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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 | 39 | 40 | 37 | 34 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 15 | 28 |
| Scotland | 57 | 47 | 47 | 56 | 31 | 26 | 34 | 28 | 19 | 20 |
| Northern Ireland | 88 | 99 | 95 | 94 | 78 | 81 | 64 | 110 | 47 | 84 |
| Ireland | 55 | 71 | 65 | 55 | 54 | 51 | 45 | 34 | 17 | 40 |
| Ontario | 26 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 7 | |
| British Columbia | 28 | 24 | 29 | 23 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 | ||
| New South Wales | 50 | 40 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 28 | 48 | 59 | 39 | 53 |
| Victoria | 37 | 41 | 44 | 48 | 36 | 55 | 36 | 32 | 35 | 38 |
| Queensland | 88 | 77 | 97 | 73 | 50 | 67 | 70 | 59 | 57 | |
| South Australia | 79 | 41 | 79 | 49 | 46 | 60 | 39 | 71 | 67 | 45 |
| New Zealand | 91 | 97 | 91 | 86 | 87 | 71 | 54 | 74 | ||
| Quebec | 43 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 56 | 55 | 42 | 40 | 53 | 51 |
| France | 80 | 85 | 80 | 74 | 68 | 78 | 78 | 68 | 66 | 76 |
| The Netherlands | 164 | 111 | 115 | 108 | 83 | 65 | 67 | 51 | 51 | |
| Austria | 79 | 77 | 74 | 76 | 83 | 79 | 72 | 80 | 77 | 83 |
| Switzerland | 80 | 86 | 77 | 70 | 66 | 67 | 73 | 81 | 58 | 88 |
| Berlin | 42 | 39 | 48 | 32 | 18 | 28 | 15 | 34 | ||
| Munich | 74 | 63 | 81 | 49 | 52 | 39 | 38 | 41 | 42 | 48 |
| Cologne | 36 | 57 | 59 | 35 | 38 | 43 | 35 | 63 | ||
| Bonn | 48 | 52 | 51 | 42 | 57 | 61 | 63 | 62 | 52 | 20 |
| Leipzig | 55 | 65 | 57 | 71 | 53 | 37 | 42 | 64 | 47 | 30 |
| Rostock | 75 | 66 | 27 | 141 | 28 | 197 | 122 | 105 | 99 | 62 |
| Norway | 64 | 76 | 86 | 97 | 99 | 79 | 84 | 77 | 79 | 86 |
| Sweden | 85 | 101 | 71 | 82 | 84 | 83 | 86 | 93 | 82 | 100 |
| Iceland | 181 | 297 | ||||||||
| Catalonia | 127 | 136 | 142 | 132 | 119 | 107 | 77 | 90 | 76 | 132 |
| Italy | 85 | 94 | 91 | 100 | 95 | 107 | 110 | 132 | 124 | |
| Poland | 82 | 105 | 136 | 130 | 152 | 134 | 143 | 133 | 128 | 124 |
| Moscow | 39 | 35 | 32 | 36 | 36 | 40 | 38 | 35 | ||
| Israel | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28 | 1,259 | 497.1 |
| 2024 | 15 | 1,592 | 617.1 |
| 2023 | 29 | 1,255 | 489.2 |
| 2022 | 28 | 1,406 | 533.6 |
| 2021 | 29 | 1,433 | 522.9 |
| 2020 | 32 | 1,331 | 495.9 |
| 2019 | 34 | 1,375 | 491.0 |
| 2018 | 37 | 1,260 | 437.1 |
| 2017 | 40 | 1,257 | 420.3 |
| 2016 | 39 | 1,374 | 447.3 |
| 2015 | 37 | 1,354 | 439.7 |
| 2014 | 45 | 1,200 | 391.3 |
| 2013 | 51 | 1,120 | 363.1 |
| 2012 | 53 | 1,072 | 332.9 |
| 2011 | 58 | 1,072 | 333.6 |
| 2010 | 57 | 1,061 | 330.5 |
| 2009 | 66 | 942 | 300.6 |
| 2008 | 69 | 964 | 305.3 |
| 2007 | 78 | 759 | 247.9 |
| 2006 | 79 | 735 | 245.6 |
| 2005 | 98 | 527 | 182.8 |
| 2004 | 85 | 609 | 213.0 |
| 2003 | 111 | 443 | 159.0 |
| 2002 | 103 | 444 | 166.1 |
| 2001 | 107 | 452 | 168.7 |
| 2000 | 110 | 454 | 166.2 |
| 1999 | 125 | 383 | 136.0 |
| 1998 | 173 | 250 | 86.5 |
| 1997 | 229 | 176 | 60.0 |
| 1996 | 259 | 145 | 49.0 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Maya in France since 1925 were born in or after 2013. First recorded in 1931. Her peak year there: 2024, at 252.0 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Maya per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 2024 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Maya
1 in 190 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Maya.
1 in 108 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Maya.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Maya.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Sofia and Sophie.
1 in 127 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Maya.
1 in 118 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Maya.
1 in 271 in Ireland
1 in 126 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Maya.
1 in 347 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Maya.
1 in 202 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Maya.
1 in 347 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Maya.
Middle names for Maya
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Maya Grace
2-1 beats · initials MG
Changes the beat after Maya: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Maya Olivia
2-4 beats · initials MO · Maya slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Maya: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Maya slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Maya Sophia
2-3 beats · initials MS
Changes the beat after Maya: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Maya Rose
2-1 beats · initials MR
Changes the beat after Maya: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Maya Maria
2-3 beats · initials MM
Changes the beat after Maya: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Maya Emily
2-3 beats · initials ME · Maya slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Maya: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Maya slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Maya Julia
2-3 beats · initials MJ
Changes the beat after Maya: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
Maya Charlotte
2-2 beats · initials MC
A close match on style, era and popularity. Same length as Maya: 2 syllables.
Same style as Maya
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 189 in Ireland
97% alike: moves with Maya across countries and decades.
1 in 197 in Scotland
96% alike: moves with Maya across countries and decades.
1 in 202 in Northern Ireland
95% alike: moves with Maya across countries and decades.
1 in 99 in Scotland
95% alike: moves with Maya across countries and decades.
1 in 188 in Scotland
95% alike: moves with Maya across countries and decades.
1 in 1,025 in England and Wales
95% alike: moves with Maya across countries and decades.
1 in 557 in England and Wales
95% alike: moves with Maya across countries and decades.
1 in 88 in Scotland
95% alike: moves with Maya across countries and decades.
Famous people named Maya
Maya Angelou, Maya Plisetskaya, Maya Hawke, Maya Rudolph, Maya Deren, Maya Lin, Maya Sar and Maya Moore.
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American poet, author, and civil rights activist (1928–2014)
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Russian ballet dancer (1925-2015)
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American actress and singer-songwriter (born 1998)
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American actress and comedian born 1972
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Ukrainian-born American avant-garde filmmaker (1917–1961)
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American sculptor and architect (born 1959)
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Bosnian singer born 1981
-
American basketball player (born 1989)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Maya
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Maya?
Her best rank is No. 5 in Israel in 2024, about 1 in 71 girls. She is in the published lists of 29 of our 40 regions.
What does Maya mean?
Wiktionary glosses Maya as "illusion; supernatural power (Sanskrit maya)".
How do you pronounce Maya?
MY-uh, with 2 syllables.
Is Maya getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 7 of 28 regions, falling in 4.
Which sister names go with Maya?
The deck's top five sisters for Maya: Zoe, Ava, Sophia, Chloe and Lucy. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.