Maitreya

According to Buddhist eschatology, Maitreya is next great Buddha who will appear on Earth, following Gautama Buddha. Though this messianic figure is usually (if not exclusively) depicted as a male, the name sounds distinctly feminine to Western ears. It's quite a heavy mantle to lay on a child, though with far less subtle names, such as Messiah, Royalty and Savior, on the rise, that may be waning as a cause for concern.

Maitreya is also given to boys.

Pronounced my-TRAY-uh.

As of October 2026, Maitreya ranked #10365 in US births in 2023 SSA, peaked at #9333 in 2018.