Alisha vs Maia

Alisha and Maiacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Alisha was ranked #638 and Maia #164 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alisha was ranked #395 and Maia #190 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Alisha was ranked #381 and Maia #213 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Alisha was ranked #407 and Maia #253 among girls in Northern Ireland.

Alisha and Maia over time

Alisha and Maia appear together in 3 published lists, across 77 years of shared records. Alisha held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Maia in 0.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Maia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Alisha in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

How this pair is related

The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.

One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Maia moved ahead of Alisha in England and Wales · Girls — #217 and #224 the year before became #274 and #176.
Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alisha and Maia changed places 9 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1999 and 2024, ending at #407 and #253.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alisha held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Maia in 7.
Highest recorded here: Alisha #57 in 2005, Maia #176 in 2001.
The order changed in 2018: Maia moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #217 and #224; by 2018 that had become #274 and #176.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alisha #395, Maia #190.
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1999–2025
Alisha held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Maia in 11.
Highest recorded here: Alisha #81 in 2008, Maia #118 in 2015.
The order changed in 2015: Maia moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #123 and #130; by 2015 that had become #258 and #118.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alisha #381, Maia #213.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1999–2024
Alisha held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Maia in 5.
Highest recorded here: Alisha #70 in 2006, Maia #132 in 2003.
The order changed in 2024: Maia moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #313 and #434; by 2024 that had become #407 and #253.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alisha #407, Maia #253.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Maia

Pairs where Maia shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Maia vs Hedvig
Maia and Hedvig changed places 17 times in Norway · Girls between 1979 and 2025, ending at #131 and #19.
Maia · Hedvig · 42 shared years, 1979–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Charlotte vs Maia
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Charlotte #1 in 2006, Maia #15 in 2005.
Charlotte · Maia · 25 shared years, 1999–2023 · Peaked in the same years
See the 2006 New Zealand ranking
Ella vs Maia
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Ella #1 in 2007, Maia #15 in 2005.
Ella · Maia · 25 shared years, 1999–2023 · Peaked in the same years
See the 2007 New Zealand ranking
Emma vs Maia
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Emma #1 in 2003, Maia #15 in 2005.
Emma · Maia · 25 shared years, 1999–2023 · Peaked in the same years
See the 2005 New Zealand ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Alisha, Maia
Field	Alisha	Maia
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Editorially researched profile
Gender usage	female	female
Meaning	Not yet recorded	A genuinely multi-origin name rather than one shared etymology. In Maori, maia (usually written with a macron, maia) is an adjective/noun meaning 'brave, bold, confident' — Te Aka also separately lists Maia as an alternate name for Waiti, a star in the Pleiades cluster. In Greek and Roman mythology, Maia was the eldest of the seven Pleiades, mother of Hermes by Zeus, with a proposed meaning of 'good mother', possibly a nursery-form of the word for 'mother'. It is also used as a form of Maria in Estonian and Basque.
Origin	Not yet recorded	Genuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/Basque
Pronunciation	Not yet recorded	/ˈmai̯a/
Syllables	3	1
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Girls #381 (2025)	Norway · Girls #131 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	88/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Maia has a recorded origin (Genuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/Basque); Alisha does not have one recorded yet.
Alisha has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Maia.
A meaning is recorded for Maia; Alisha doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.

How each name got here

Alisha

Popularity journey

First recorded1983
First recorded at #529 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #57 among girls in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #381 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls

Maia

Popularity journey

First recorded1979
First recorded at #584 among girls in Norway in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1999–2023
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 2005 (recorded 1999–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #131 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls