girl's name
Maya
MY-uh
- Origin Sanskrit
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 193,216
the United States
#62
2025 births
Maya is a girl's name with several unrelated origins. In Sanskrit maya means "illusion," a central concept in Hindu philosophy; in Hebrew it is connected to water; and in Greek myth Maia is the mother of Hermes and gives her name to the month of May.
- Maya is a name of Sanskrit origin.
- Peaked in 2006, when 5,053 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 893 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1940.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Maya over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1940s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 25 |
| 1950s | 111 |
| 1960s | 427 |
| 1970s | 2,144 |
| 1980s | 3,013 |
| 1990s | 14,002 |
| 2000s | 40,107 |
| 2010s | 39,806 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 24,115 |
What Maya means
Maya has no single meaning because it arrives from several languages at once. The Sanskrit gives illusion, the Greek Maia suggests mother or nurse, the Hebrew connects to water, and a separate line links it to the Roman goddess Maia of growth.
Where Maya comes from
Maya is one of the clearest examples of unrelated names converging on a single English spelling. In Sanskrit, maya denotes the illusory nature of the perceived world, a foundational idea in Hindu and Buddhist thought, and Maya was also the name of the Buddha's mother. In Greek myth Maia was the eldest of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes, and the Romans identified her with a goddess of growth whose name the month of May carries. Hebrew Maya is connected to mayim, water. The Maya civilization of Mesoamerica shares the spelling by coincidence. Because all these traditions are live, reference works list the meanings side by side rather than choosing.
Maya in use
Sanskrit, Greek, Hebrew and Mesoamerican traditions all produced this spelling independently.
How popular is Maya?
In 2025, Maya was given to 3,712 babies in the United States, ranking #62 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Maya is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Maya
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Maya also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Maya over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Maya in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Common questions about Maya
What does the name Maya mean?
It depends on the language — "illusion" in Sanskrit, a connection to water in Hebrew, and mother or nurse via the Greek Maia.
Is Maya related to the Maya civilization?
No. The Mesoamerican name shares the spelling by coincidence.
Is Maya the same as Maia?
Maia is the Greek form, mother of Hermes; the two spellings are often used interchangeably in English.
How popular is the name Maya?
In 2025, Maya was given to 3,712 babies in the United States, ranking #62 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Maya a girl's or a boy's name?
Maya is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Maya?
Maya has 2 syllables.
When was Maya most popular?
Maya peaked in 2006, when 5,053 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Maya a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Maya currently ranks #16 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.