Girl · Greek, Sanskrit and others
Maya
Say it: MY-uh
Meaning
A name with several independent sources: Greek Maia, mother of Hermes; Sanskrit māyā 'illusion'; and a short form of Maria.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
Steadily popular in the US since the 1990s.
Its wave through time
Popular now
In the United States
- 103,254 babies given this name since 1940
- At its height in 2006, about 1 in 376 girls
- 3,701 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Maia, Mya
| Greek | Maia |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit | Māyā |
Famous bearers
- Maya Angelou, American poet
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- Ancient Greek literature and history (Homer, Herodotus, Plutarch and others)
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.