Where does the name Maya come from?

Maya is a girl name of Sanskrit origin.

Is Maya a boy or a girl name?

Maya is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 115,645 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Maya in 2023?

Maya ranks #49 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2006 with 5,047 babies.

How do you pronounce Maya?

Maya is pronounced MY-ah (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Maya?

Maya is also written as Maja, Maia.

A name from Sanskrit · Girl

Maya

Illusion; water; good mother. Hindu concept and Greek mother of Hermes.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 83-year arc in numbers.

115,645 U.S. births recorded from 1940–2023.

Popularity · 1940–2023

4,092 births in 2023

1940 1981 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

MIllusion; water; good mother. Hindu concept and Greek mother of Hermes.

Variants & spellings

2 ways to spell "Maya".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Maja Most common Maia

Related guides

People who carry the name Maya.

M
Maya Angelou (poet)

Quick answers

People often ask about Maya.

What does the name Maya mean?: Maya means illusion; water; good mother. Hindu concept and Greek mother of Hermes.
Where does the name Maya come from?: Maya is a girl name of Sanskrit origin.
Is Maya a boy or a girl name?: Maya is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 115,645 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Maya in 2023?: Maya ranks #49 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2006 with 5,047 babies.
How do you pronounce Maya?: Maya is pronounced MY-ah (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Maya?: Maya is also written as Maja, Maia.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.