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Maya
Pronounced MY-uh /ˈmaɪə/High
Meaning: Illusion, magic — from Sanskrit maya (cosmic illusion)High
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
History & Origin
Maya carries meanings from multiple traditions. In Sanskrit, maya refers to the cosmic illusion of the material world, a concept central to Hinduism and Buddhism. In Greek mythology, Maia was one of the seven Pleiades, a nymph and the mother of Hermes by Zeus. May (the month) is also derived from Maia. In the Maya civilization of Mesoamerica, the name has an entirely separate cultural resonance.
In the U.S. Maya began rising in the 1970s and accelerated through the 1990s and 2000s. It entered the top 50 by 2000 and the top 10 by the 2010s. Its multicultural depth — simultaneously at home in Hindu, Jewish, Greek, Indigenous, and African-American naming traditions — makes it uniquely broad in appeal.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- ★Maya Angelou (1928–2014)American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist, author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
- ★Maya Lin (1959–)American architect and artist, designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
If you like Maya…
Frequently Asked
What does the name Maya mean?
Maya has several origins: in Sanskrit it means 'illusion' or 'magic'; in Greek mythology Maia was the mother of Hermes; it may also connect to Hebrew water imagery.
How do you pronounce Maya?
It's said MY-uh /ˈmaɪə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Maya a boy or girl name?
Maya is used almost exclusively as a girls' name in the U.S.
How popular is Maya?
Maya ranks in the U.S. top 10 girls' names, having climbed steadily from the 1970s to today.