Girl
Maya
illusion, mother
About Maya
Elegantly simple, this name achieves remarkable impact through brevity and perfect phonetic balance. It transcends cultural boundaries with ease, recognized and appreciated across multiple continents and language systems. The name's multicultural resonance allows families from diverse backgrounds to claim it authentically without appropriation concerns. Its soft consonants and open vowels create an approachable warmth that invites connection rather than distance. The name has maintained steady popularity without becoming oversaturated, occupying that desirable space between familiar and common. It requires no explanation, no spelling clarification, no pronunciation guide—a practical consideration that shouldn't be underestimated. The name suits every personality type, from quiet and introspective to bold and outgoing, never constraining a child to particular character expectations. Its appearance in literature, mythology, and contemporary culture provides rich associations without overwhelming the individual bearer. For parents seeking a name that feels both substantial and light, global and personal, this achieves perfect equilibrium.
Popularity of the Name Maya
Rank among the 1,000 most popular baby names, by year.
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Ireland | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | #914 | ||||
| 1971 | #950 | ||||
| 1972 | #872 | ||||
| 1973 | #972 | ||||
| 1974 | #800 | ||||
| 1975 | #759 | ||||
| 1976 | #698 | ||||
| 1977 | #531 | ||||
| 1978 | #581 | ||||
| 1979 | #513 | ||||
| 1980 | #506 | ||||
| 1981 | #571 | ||||
| 1982 | #547 | ||||
| 1983 | #607 | ||||
| 1984 | #695 | ||||
| 1985 | #696 | ||||
| 1986 | #747 | ||||
| 1987 | #654 | ||||
| 1988 | #669 | ||||
| 1989 | #616 | ||||
| 1990 | #399 | ||||
| 1991 | #443 | #440 | |||
| 1992 | #368 | #471 | |||
| 1993 | #271 | #361 | |||
| 1994 | #247 | #332 | |||
| 1995 | #227 | #276 | |||
| 1996 | #201 | #240 | |||
| 1997 | #182 | #247 | #650 | #213 | |
| 1998 | #123 | #183 | #470 | #121 | |
| 1999 | #113 | #136 | #232 | #421 | #103 |
| 2000 | #113 | #121 | #138 | #257 | #78 |
| 2001 | #110 | #117 | #152 | #211 | #61 |
| 2002 | #90 | #112 | #164 | #236 | #44 |
| 2003 | #84 | #121 | #101 | #245 | #30 |
| 2004 | #83 | #89 | #67 | #152 | #23 |
| 2005 | #73 | #100 | #84 | #183 | #19 |
| 2006 | #57 | #82 | #93 | #138 | #14 |
| 2007 | #62 | #82 | #89 | #100 | #17 |
| 2008 | #71 | #71 | #76 | #103 | #15 |
| 2009 | #61 | #71 | #115 | #89 | #18 |
| 2010 | #66 | #57 | #93 | #84 | #20 |
| 2011 | #64 | #58 | #140 | #75 | #22 |
| 2012 | #63 | #61 | #102 | #81 | #23 |
| 2013 | #72 | #51 | #134 | #70 | #24 |
| 2014 | #74 | #49 | #128 | #64 | #25 |
| 2015 | #68 | #39 | #105 | #66 | #26 |
| 2016 | #64 | #41 | #115 | #56 | #29 |
| 2017 | #60 | #42 | #94 | #72 | #33 |
| 2018 | #62 | #38 | #98 | #65 | #30 |
| 2019 | #64 | #34 | #120 | #56 | #30 |
| 2020 | #61 | #32 | #92 | #55 | #26 |
| 2021 | #55 | #29 | #86 | #52 | #20 |
| 2022 | #51 | #28 | #91 | #46 | #21 |
| 2023 | #49 | #30 | #72 | #38 | #19 |
| 2024 | #51 | #16 | #58 | #18 | #15 |
| 2025 | #62 | #28 | #78 | #41 | #21 |
Top names by country: United States · United Kingdom · New Zealand · Ireland · Canada
Variations of Name Maya
Names Similar to Maya
Nicknames for Maya
- May
- Mimi
- Mia
- Yaya
Famous People Named Maya
| Maya Angelou | American poet and civil rights activist |
| Maya Lin | American artist and architect |
| Maya Rudolph | American actress and comedian |
| Maya Moore | American professional basketball player |
| Maya Jama | British TV presenter and model |
| Maya Kazan | American actress |
| Maya Hawke | American actress and model |
| Maya Plisetskaya | Russian ballet dancer |
| Maya Deren | American avant-garde filmmaker |
| Maya Soetoro-Ng | American educator and sister of Barack Obama |
| Maya MacGuineas | American economist and fiscal policy expert |
| Maya Wiley | American civil rights activist and lawyer |
| Maya Gabeira | Brazilian professional big wave surfer |
| Maya Forbes | American screenwriter and director |
| Maya Linde | Swedish handball player |
| Maya DiRado | American former competitive swimmer |
| Maya Stojan | Swiss-American actress |
| Maya Arulpragasam | M.I.A. - British rapper and activist |
| Maya Nasri | Lebanese singer and actress |
| Maya Thurman-Hawke | American actress and model |
Characters Named Maya
| Maya Hart | Girl Meets World |
| Maya Fey | Ace Attorney series |
| Maya Lopez | Marvel Comics character, also known as Echo |
| Maya Hansen | Iron Man comics and films |
| Maya Ibuki | Neon Genesis Evangelion |
| Maya Gallo | Just Shoot Me! |
| Maya Herrera | Heroes |
| Maya Matlin | Degrassi - The Next Generation |
| Maya St. Germain | Pretty Little Liars |
| Maya Toya | Cardcaptor Sakura |
| Maya Sunee | Leverage |
| Maya Doolittle | Dr. Dolittle film series |
| Maya Williams | Pirates of the Caribbean - On Stranger Tides |
| Maya Watanabe | Godzilla - Planet of the Monsters |
| Maya Yamada | Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? |
| Maya Bishop | Station 19 |
| Maya Ben-Efraim | Unorthodox |