Maia vs Olive
Maia and Olivecompared 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 2023, Maia was ranked #35 and Olive #33 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Maia was ranked #190 and Olive #53 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Maia was ranked #164 and Olive #106 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Maia was ranked #253 and Olive #119 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Maia was ranked #213 and Olive #247 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Maia and Olive over time
Maia and Olive appear together in 4 published lists, across 78 years of shared records. Maia held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Olive 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 4 of those lists, and Olive in none. 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 2021, Olive moved ahead of Maia in Northern Ireland · Girls — #166 and #397 the year before became #266 and #190.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Maia and Olive changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 2013 and 2024, ending at #253 and #119.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Maia held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Olive in 12.
Highest recorded here: Maia #176 in 2001, Olive #53 in 2024.
The order changed in 2013: Olive moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #215 and #260; by 2013 that had become #240 and #233.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Maia #190, Olive #53.
Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 2000–2025
Maia held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Olive in 2.
Highest recorded here: Maia #118 in 2015, Olive #243 in 2024.
The order changed in 2005: Maia moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #439 and #362; by 2005 that had become #232 and #689.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maia #213, Olive #247.
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 2010–2023
Maia held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Olive in 4.
Highest recorded here: Maia #28 in 2013, Olive #21 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Maia #35, Olive #33.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 2013–2024
Maia held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Olive in 5.
Highest recorded here: Maia #166 in 2020, Olive #119 in 2024.
The order changed in 2021: Olive moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #166 and #397; by 2021 that had become #266 and #190.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Maia #253, Olive #119.
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.
Side by side
| Field | Maia | Olive |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Genuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/Basque | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmai̯a/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #131 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #68 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| 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); Olive does not have one recorded yet.
- Maia has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Olive.
- A meaning is recorded for Maia; Olive 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
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
Olive
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #72 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #21 among girls in New Zealand, in 2022 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #68 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls