Kaitlyn vs Maia
Kaitlyn 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 2007, Kaitlyn was ranked #94 and Maia #25 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Kaitlyn was ranked #736 and Maia #126 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Kaitlyn was ranked #1362 and Maia #197 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Kaitlyn was ranked #350 and Maia #266 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Kaitlyn and Maia over time
Kaitlyn and Maia appear together in 3 published lists, across 77 years of shared records. Maia held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kaitlyn in 1.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Kaitlyn and Maia changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #1362 and #197.
- Mirrored each other
Over 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Maia rose about as far as Kaitlyn fell — from #620 and #753 in 1996 to #1362 and #197 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Kaitlyn and Maia were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1362 and #197.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Kaitlyn #94 in 2003, Maia #132 in 2003.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Kaitlyn held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Maia in 16.
Highest recorded here: Kaitlyn #139 in 2006, Maia #176 in 2001.
The order changed in 2013: Maia moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #206 and #215; by 2013 that had become #240 and #240.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Kaitlyn #1362, Maia #197.
Republic of Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2024
Kaitlyn held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Maia in 14.
Highest recorded here: Kaitlyn #146 in 2002, Maia #118 in 2015.
The order changed in 2011: Maia moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #216 and #230; by 2011 that had become #266 and #234.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kaitlyn #736, Maia #126.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1999–2021
Kaitlyn held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Maia in 3.
Highest recorded here: Kaitlyn #94 in 2003, Maia #132 in 2003.
The order changed in 2021: Maia moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #273 and #434; by 2021 that had become #350 and #266.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Kaitlyn #350, Maia #266.
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
- 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
- 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
- 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
Side by side
| Field | Kaitlyn | 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 | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #1362 (2025) | Norway · Girls #131 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 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); Kaitlyn does not have one recorded yet.
- Kaitlyn has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Maia.
- A meaning is recorded for Maia; Kaitlyn doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Kaitlyn
Popularity journey
First recorded1994
First recorded at #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1994 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2007
Highest recorded position: #66 among girls in New Zealand, in 2002 (recorded 1996–2007).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1362 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #197 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls