Namewise

Holly vs Maia

Holly 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.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2020, Holly was ranked #78 and Maia #38 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Holly was ranked #69 and Maia #213 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Holly was ranked #79 and Maia #164 among girls in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Holly was ranked #105 and Maia #253 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Holly was ranked #169 and Maia #197 among girls in England and Wales.

Holly and Maia over time

Holly and Maia appear together in 4 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Holly held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Maia in 0.

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

Holly reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Maia 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 took the other's place near the top

    In New Zealand · Girls, Maia moved into the top 50 at #34 in 2015 as Holly fell out of it to #53, having been #44 the year before.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2015, Maia moved ahead of Holly in New Zealand · Girls — #44 and #46 the year before became #53 and #34.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Holly and Maia changed places 7 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1999 and 2020, ending at #78 and #38.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 21 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Holly and Maia averaged 22.2 places apart, ending at #78 and #38.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 27 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Maia rose about as far as Holly fell — from #46 and #528 in 1999 to #69 and #213 in 2025.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Holly and Maia were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #169 and #197.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Holly #12 in 2002, Maia #176 in 2001.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Holly held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Maia in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Holly #12 in 2002, Maia #176 in 2001.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Holly #169, Maia #197.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1999–2025

    Holly held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Maia in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Holly #11 in 2010, Maia #118 in 2015.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Holly #69, Maia #213.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2024

    Holly held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Maia in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Holly #22 in 2003, Maia #132 in 2003.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Holly #105, Maia #253.

  • New Zealand · Girls21 shared years, 1999–2020

    Holly held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Maia in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Holly #16 in 2003, Maia #15 in 2005.

    The order changed in 2015: Maia moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #44 and #46; by 2015 that had become #53 and #34.

    Most recent shared year, 2020: Holly #78, Maia #38.

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 Holly

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

Other comparisons involving Maia

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

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one took the other's place near the top.

All one took the other's place near the top→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Holly, Maia
FieldHollyMaia
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedA 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.
OriginNot yet recordedGenuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/Basque
Pronunciation/ˈmai̯a/
Syllables21
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #69 (2025)Norway · Girls #131 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Maia has a recorded origin (Genuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/Basque); Holly does not have one recorded yet.
  • Holly has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Maia.
  • A meaning is recorded for Maia; Holly doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Holly

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1976

    First recorded at #392 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1976–2025

    Highest recorded position: #11 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2010 (recorded 1976–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #169 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Maia

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1999–2023

    Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 2005 (recorded 1999–2023).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #197 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls