Fun Facts About the Name Maya
- A newer favorite: Maya first entered the U.S. top 100 in 2002 and stayed there through 2025 - a run of 24 consecutive years.
- More than 123 thousand babies named Maya: U.S. records list 123,714 babies given the name Maya from 1880 through 2025. Even 163 boys received the name Maya - about 1 boy for every 758 girls.
What Does the Name Maya Mean?
Maya has several independent origins. In Sanskrit, māyā means illusion or magic; in later Hindu philosophy it is the power that creates the appearance of a separate world. In modern Hindi and Nepali, the same word māyā also means love, affection, or compassion.
The English spelling Maya can also represent the Greek name Maia (Μαῖα). The meaning of Maia is not certain, but it is often explained as mother or nurse, from the Greek word maia. Maia was one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes.
In Hebrew and Aramaic, mayim and mayyā mean water. The modern Hebrew name Maya is commonly connected with water or a spring, though the exact derivation of the name is not always clearly documented.
In Scandinavian and Slavic usage, Maja, sometimes written Maya in English, is a short form of Maria. That strand has a separate history and does not share the Sanskrit, Greek, or Hebrew origins. The name also matches the spelling of the Maya civilization of Mesoamerica, but that civilization's name has its own uncertain origin and is not the source of the personal name's older uses.
Maya Name History & Origins
The Sanskrit Māyā is an ancient word. In Buddhist tradition, Queen Māyā was the mother of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. In Hindu texts, māyā is a central concept: in Advaita Vedanta it is the power of illusion that hides ultimate reality, while in other contexts it can mean magic or extraordinary power. The name Maya is used in India and Nepal, where the word also carries senses of love and affection.
In Greek myth, Maia was the eldest of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes by Zeus. Her name was Latinized as Maia, and the month of May is traditionally linked to her. English uses both Maia and Maya for this name; Maia is the older transliteration of the Greek spelling, while Maya is a later variant that overlaps with the Sanskrit and Hebrew names.
The Hebrew name Maya is common in Israel and is usually understood in relation to water. It is distinct from the Greek and Sanskrit names, even though all three can be spelled Maya in English. In Scandinavia and Slavic-speaking countries, Maja developed as a pet form of Maria and remains a common given name; when spelled Maya in English, it can carry that derivation as well.
The Maya civilization of Mesoamerica shares the spelling but not the origin of these personal names. That civilization's name has an uncertain history. In modern English, Maya draws on the older Sanskrit, Greek, Hebrew, and Slavic strands rather than creating a single new etymology.
How Popular is the Name Maya?
Maya recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2006. Maya entered the top 100 U.S. girl names in 2002.
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 | #62 | 3,712 | 0.2310% |
| 2024 | #51 | 4,220 | 0.2616% |
| 2023 | #50 | 4,085 | 0.2549% |
| 2022 | #51 | 4,244 | 0.2590% |
| 2021 | #55 | 4,080 | 0.2488% |
| 2020 | #61 | 3,744 | 0.2318% |
| 2019 | #64 | 3,820 | 0.2277% |
| 2018 | #62 | 3,918 | 0.2304% |
| 2017 | #60 | 4,046 | 0.2344% |
| 2016 | #64 | 4,089 | 0.2308% |
| 2015 | #68 | 4,131 | 0.2315% |
| 2014 | #74 | 3,957 | 0.2216% |
| 2013 | #72 | 3,826 | 0.2181% |
| 2012 | #63 | 3,979 | 0.2260% |
| 2011 | #64 | 4,023 | 0.2287% |
| 2010 | #66 | 3,971 | 0.2234% |
| 2009 | #61 | 4,393 | 0.2392% |
| 2008 | #71 | 4,269 | 0.2258% |
| 2007 | #62 | 4,701 | 0.2445% |
| 2006 | #57 | 5,047 | 0.2655% |
| 2005 | #73 | 4,430 | 0.2398% |
| 2004 | #83 | 3,766 | 0.2051% |
| 2003 | #84 | 3,849 | 0.2107% |
| 2002 | #90 | 3,545 | 0.1973% |
| 2001 | #110 | 3,010 | 0.1672% |
| 2000 | #113 | 3,019 | 0.1662% |
| 1999 | #113 | 2,854 | 0.1609% |
| 1998 | #123 | 2,686 | 0.1520% |
| 1997 | #182 | 1,676 | 0.0963% |
| 1996 | #201 | 1,445 | 0.0824% |
| 1995 | #227 | 1,241 | 0.0706% |
| 1994 | #247 | 1,130 | 0.0633% |
| 1993 | #271 | 1,016 | 0.0562% |
| 1992 | #368 | 696 | 0.0377% |
| 1991 | #443 | 575 | 0.0307% |
| 1990 | #399 | 652 | 0.0343% |
| 1989 | #617 | 344 | 0.0187% |
| 1988 | #669 | 289 | 0.0162% |
| 1987 | #657 | 287 | 0.0165% |
| 1986 | #747 | 233 | 0.0136% |
| 1985 | #696 | 251 | 0.0146% |
| 1984 | #694 | 241 | 0.0143% |
| 1983 | #607 | 290 | 0.0174% |
| 1982 | #547 | 347 | 0.0205% |
| 1981 | #571 | 323 | 0.0194% |
| 1980 | #507 | 397 | 0.0239% |
| 1979 | #513 | 385 | 0.0240% |
| 1978 | #581 | 296 | 0.0193% |
| 1977 | #531 | 343 | 0.0224% |
| 1976 | #698 | 212 | 0.0145% |
| 1975 | #759 | 187 | 0.0128% |
| 1974 | #800 | 169 | 0.0115% |
| 1973 | #972 | 123 | 0.0084% |
| 1972 | #872 | 147 | 0.0097% |
| 1971 | #950 | 135 | 0.0081% |
| 1970 | #914 | 142 | 0.0081% |
| 1969 | #1,136 | 96 | 0.0057% |
| 1968 | #1,370 | 67 | 0.0041% |
| 1967 | #1,717 | 45 | 0.0027% |
| 1966 | #1,595 | 50 | 0.0030% |
| 1965 | #2,232 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1964 | #1,967 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 1963 | #2,590 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1962 | #1,973 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 1961 | #2,917 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1960 | #2,228 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1959 | #2,645 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1958 | #3,495 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1957 | #3,606 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1956 | #3,834 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #4,271 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1954 | #4,175 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1953 | #2,889 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1952 | #4,784 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1951 | #4,258 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1950 | #4,594 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1949 | #3,538 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1943 | #5,126 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1942 | #5,120 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1940 | #4,819 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | #11,504 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #13,517 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #10,351 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #9,412 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #9,325 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #8,563 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #7,094 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #8,770 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #13,705 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2006 | #11,570 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #8,078 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #12,565 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #5,774 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #11,845 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #11,709 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #9,890 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #7,622 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #6,655 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #7,694 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #9,657 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #4,707 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1975 | #6,003 | 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.
