Maya vs Merete
Maya and Meretecompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2005, Maya was ranked #85 and Merete #514 among girls in Norway.
Maya and Merete over time
Maya and Merete appear together in 1 published list, across 41 years of shared records. Merete held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Maya 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.
Merete reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Maya 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Maya and Merete were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 41 years, from 1961 to 2005, ending at #85 and #514.
List by list
Norway · Girls41 shared years, 1961–2005
Maya held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Merete in 34.
Highest recorded here: Maya #85 in 2005, Merete #36 in 1965.
The order changed in 1999: Maya moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #295 and #273; by 1999 that had become #201 and #475.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Maya #85, Merete #514.
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 Maya
Pairs where Maya shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Kristine vs Maya
Over 61 shared years in Norway · Girls, Maya rose about as far as Kristine fell — from #140 and #497 in 1961 to #244 and #86 in 2025.
Kristine · Maya · 61 shared years, 1961–2025 · Mirrored each other
- Maya vs Åse
Over 61 shared years in Norway · Girls, Maya rose about as far as Åse fell — from #497 and #40 in 1961 to #86 and #93 in 2025.
Maya · Åse · 61 shared years, 1961–2025 · Mirrored each other
- Maya vs Tina
Over 61 shared years in Norway · Girls, Maya rose about as far as Tina fell — from #497 and #227 in 1961 to #86 and #488 in 2025.
Maya · Tina · 61 shared years, 1961–2025 · Mirrored each other
- Isabella vs Maya
Isabella and Maya changed places 15 times in Norway · Girls between 1966 and 2025, ending at #122 and #86.
Isabella · Maya · 50 shared years, 1966–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
Side by side
| Field | Maya | Merete |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #40 (2025) | Norway · Girls #514 (2005) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Maya has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Merete.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Maya
Popularity journey
First recorded1961
First recorded at #497 among girls in Norway in 1961 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #53 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Merete
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #241 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2005
Highest recorded position: #33 among girls in Norway, in 1967 (recorded 1945–2005).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2005
Most recently recorded at #514 among girls in Norway, in 2005.
Norway · Girls