Maia vs Thea
Maia and Theacompared 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 Thea #70 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Maia was ranked #131 and Thea #50 among girls in Norway.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Maia was ranked #164 and Thea #65 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Maia was ranked #190 and Thea #66 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Maia was ranked #253 and Thea #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Maia was ranked #213 and Thea #207 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Maia and Thea over time
Maia and Thea appear together in 5 published lists, across 127 years of shared records. Thea held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Maia in 2.
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.
Maia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Thea 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 2013, Thea moved ahead of Maia in Northern Ireland · Girls — #330 and #451 the year before became #218 and #178.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Maia and Thea changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #190 and #66.
- Longest-running competitions
Maia and Thea were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 42 years, from 1979 to 2025, ending at #131 and #50.
List by list
Norway · Girls42 shared years, 1979–2025
Maia held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thea in 42.
Highest recorded here: Maia #95 in 2020, Thea #1 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maia #131, Thea #50.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Maia held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Thea in 16.
Highest recorded here: Maia #176 in 2001, Thea #46 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Maia #190, Thea #66.
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1999–2025
Maia held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Thea in 5.
Highest recorded here: Maia #118 in 2015, Thea #136 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maia #213, Thea #207.
Northern Ireland · Girls19 shared years, 2004–2024
Maia held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Thea in 13.
Highest recorded here: Maia #144 in 2009, Thea #40 in 2019.
The order changed in 2013: Thea moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #330 and #451; by 2013 that had become #218 and #178.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Maia #253, Thea #75.
New Zealand · Girls10 shared years, 2014–2023
Maia held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Thea in 3.
Highest recorded here: Maia #34 in 2015, Thea #31 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Maia #35, Thea #70.
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 | Thea |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | A short form of Dorothea, Theodora, Theresa and other similar-sounding Greek-rooted names. |
| Origin | Genuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/Basque | Greek (via Germanic/Scandinavian transmission) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmai̯a/ | /ˈteː.a/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #131 (2025) | Norway · Girls #50 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Maia is recorded with a Genuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/Basque origin, while Thea is recorded with a Greek (via Germanic/Scandinavian transmission) origin.
- Maia and Thea both have 1 syllable.
- Maia's recorded meaning differs from Thea's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
Thea
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #380 among girls in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1950–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1950–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #50 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls