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Maven
Pronounced MAY-vən /ˈmeɪ.vən/High
Meaning: Expert, connoisseur; from Yiddish meyvn, from Hebrew mevin, 'one who understands'High
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Maven entered English from Yiddish meyvn — Hebrew mevin, 'one who understands' — and settled in as the word for a true expert, the herring maven of mid-century ads becoming the data maven of today. As a given name it is a twenty-first-century word-name adoption, helped by its friendly -ven ending shared with Avery-era sounds.
It appears thinly in recent records for both sexes. For a boy it reads sharp, bookish, and quietly Jewish-rooted — a name with a diploma built in.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Maven mean?
Maven is the Yiddish-derived word for an expert — from Hebrew mevin, 'one who understands'.
How do you pronounce Maven?
It's said MAY-vən /ˈmeɪ.vən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Maven a boy or girl name?
Maven is used for both sexes; this page covers its use as a boy's name.
How popular is Maven?
Maven is a very rare word name in the U.S.