Fun Facts About the Name Maili
- 366 babies named Maili: U.S. records list 366 babies given the name Maili from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Maili Mean?
Maili is a feminine given name used chiefly in Estonia, and also in Finland. It is normally listed as a member of the Maria (Mary) family of names, formed from the short form Mai with the diminutive -li ending that appears in other Finnic pet names such as Anneli and Heli. Because the meaning of Mary itself is not settled, Maili has no single agreed literal translation. The Hebrew name Miryam behind Mary has been explained as "bitter" (from a root connected with mar, "bitter"), as "beloved," as "rebellious," and as derived from an Egyptian word rather than a Hebrew one. The customary gloss attached to Mary names is therefore a religious rather than a strictly etymological one, and dictionaries of Estonian and Finnish names generally treat Maili as a variant within the Mary group instead of assigning it a separate meaning of its own.
Maili Name History & Origins
Maili belongs to the large group of European forms of Mary, a name that spread with Christianity and was reshaped differently in each language. In Estonian, the full church form is Maarja, with the short forms Mari, Mai, and Maie in common use; in Finnish, the corresponding forms include Maria, Maija, Marja, and Mari. Maili, with its -li ending, follows the same pattern of affectionate shortening seen in Finnish and Estonian names like Anneli. Finnish also has the closely related name Maila, which is sometimes given as a variant of the same group.
Maili should not be confused with two similar-looking names that have their own separate histories. The Hawaiian girl's name Maile comes from the maile vine and has nothing to do with the European Mary names, and Māʻili is the name of a place on the leeward coast of Oʻahu, again a Hawaiian word rather than a form of Mary. Similarity of spelling, in these cases, does not indicate a shared origin.
How Popular is the Name Maili?
Maili has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2004. Its best rank was #3,960 in 2004.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #16,369 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #16,687 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #14,899 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #10,281 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #15,247 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #17,850 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #14,016 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #8,873 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2012 | #10,158 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #16,050 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #10,933 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #9,194 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2008 | #5,679 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2007 | #9,339 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2006 | #6,265 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2005 | #6,715 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2004 | #3,960 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 2003 | #7,442 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #8,122 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #7,578 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2000 | #6,684 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1999 | #10,009 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #7,568 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #9,264 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #12,723 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #11,289 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #9,209 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1992 | #8,481 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #10,388 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #10,672 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #8,008 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #11,531 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #10,723 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #10,580 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Maili Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Maili's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Maili's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.