Maia
2025 SSA
About Maia
Maia was derived from the Greek word maia, meaning "mother." In Greek legend, she was the fair-haired daughter of Atlas who mothered Zeus's favorite illegitimate son, Hermes. To the Romans, Maia was the incarnation of the earth mother and goddess of spring, after whom they named the month of May. Maya is the more common spelling.
Maia is one of those light, ethereal girls' names with mystical overtones and mythical roots. Maia and Maya are the same name depending on which origin and meaning you favor. It's a favorite among Nameberry users.
Pronounced MY-a.
As of October 2026, Maia ranked #433 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #420 in 2022, Nameberry popularity #439.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #628 | 456 | 255.3 |
| 2015 | #553 | 562 | 314.8 |
| 2016 | #570 | 545 | 307.6 |
| 2017 | #489 | 639 | 370.1 |
| 2018 | #502 | 620 | 364.5 |
| 2019 | #525 | 587 | 349.7 |
| 2020 | #498 | 615 | 380.4 |
| 2021 | #435 | 724 | 441.2 |
| 2022 | #420 | 752 | 458.5 |
| 2023 | #459 | 672 | 418.8 |
| 2024 | #459 | 681 | 420.3 |
| 2025 | #433 | 715 | 444.9 |
World rankings
Similar names
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Maia on lists
Famous Maias
- Maia Estianty
Indonesian singer,songwriter
- Maia Mitchell
Australian actress
- Maia Luisa Brewton
American actress
- Maia Chinassa Campbell
American actress
- Maia Chiburdanidze
Georgian chess champion
- Maia Ann Mereana Lewis
New Zealand cricket player
- Maia Emilia Ninel Morgenstern
Romanian actress
- Maia Harumi Shibutani
American ice dancer
- Maia Sandu
Moldovian politician
- Maia Sharp
American singer,songwriter
- Maia Keyanna Hightower
Johnson (b. 1996), daughter of NFL player Keyshawn Johnson
- Maia Rose Tessalini (b. 1997)
daughter of actress Michelle Collins and Fabrizio Tessalini
- Maia Grace Keillor (b. 1997)
daughter of radio personality and novelist Garrison Keillor
- Maia Rhys
Davies (b. 2006), daughter of actor John Rhys,Davies
Maia in pop culture
- Maia
star in the Pleiades, one of the Seven Sisters, in Orion's Belt
- Maia
a nymph in Greek Mythology, Hermes' mother
- Maia
name given to Thumbelina at the end of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale
- Maia Rutledge
Skoures, character on TV's "The 4400"
- Maia Roberts
character in Cassandra Clare's "The Mortal Instruments" series
- Maia Thomasine "May" Bailey
character in A.S.Byatt's book 'Possession'
Variations & nicknames
- MaiyaRussian