Maia
femaleGenuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/BasqueA 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: Genuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/Basque
Official popularity data is available for 6 regions, from 1979 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #15 in New Zealand in 2005. See regions.
Maia: Recorded since 1979, it reached #15 in 2005, and it stood at #131 in 2025.
Data Confidence
Confidence in the evidencebehind this name's data — never a rating of the name itself, and never affected by how well it matches your preferences. How this is assessed
Because: backed by officially or academically authoritative sources, recently verified, popularity data covers multiple regions.
Averaged from the real per-claim source-authority assessments already computed for this name's meaning/origin/pronunciation/popularity evidence.
Averaged from the real per-claim supporting-source counts already computed for this name's evidence.
See full evidence assessment (8 dimensions, 1 not yet tracked)
No recorded source disagreement for this name's meanings or origins.
Calculated from how long ago this record was last verified (2026-07-21), against a 270-day staleness threshold.
Calculated from the number of geographies with official popularity data (6) — broader official coverage means the evidence base is relevant to more of where the name is actually used.
Calculated from how many of the expected data sections (variants, similar names, popularity, notable usage, IPA pronunciation) are actually populated for this name.
Averaged from the real per-claim direct-observation-vs-inference ratios already computed for this name's evidence.
Cross-source identity and variant resolution requires HEKNO Knowledge, which isn't connected yet.
Name Characteristics
How these are calculatedDescriptive attributes of the name itself — not a confidence measurement, and not an overall quality score. Namewise doesn't approve or disapprove of names.
Editorial judgement of how consistently this name is pronounced correctly on first read, mapped from an easy/moderate/variable rating to a number. Describes the name — not a measure of evidence confidence.
Calculated directly from the name's spelling: shorter names with fewer irregular letter clusters score higher. A disclosed formula, not an editorial opinion — and not a confidence measurement.
Derived from how many geographies' official statistics record this name. It measures where the name is registered, not how well-known it feels to people living there.
Derived from the same official statistical coverage, scaled to reflect how widely the name crosses national datasets. Not a measure of how easily it is understood in another language.
Derived from the name's traditional/modern classification and its current popularity trend direction.
Overview
- Origin
- Genuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/Basque
- 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.
- Pronunciation
- MY-ah
- Syllables
- 1
- Common nicknames
- None recorded
- Classification
- Traditional & modern
- Gender usage
- female
- Language family
- Genuinely multiple, independent origins — Maori, Greek/Roman mythology, and Estonian/Basque
Popularity
among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2025
View as table
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1996 | #753 |
| 1997 | #456 |
| 1998 | #349 |
| 1999 | #240 |
| 2000 | #213 |
| 2001 | #176 |
| 2002 | #224 |
| 2003 | #211 |
| 2004 | #244 |
| 2005 | #255 |
| 2006 | #225 |
| 2007 | #205 |
| 2008 | #182 |
| 2009 | #198 |
| 2010 | #214 |
| 2011 | #218 |
| 2012 | #215 |
| 2013 | #240 |
| 2014 | #238 |
| 2015 | #220 |
| 2016 | #236 |
| 2017 | #224 |
| 2018 | #176 |
| 2019 | #218 |
| 2020 | #193 |
| 2021 | #210 |
| 2022 | #184 |
| 2023 | #196 |
| 2024 | #190 |
| 2025 | #197 |
VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.
See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales
What the data shows
Recorded in official data among girls in Norway in 42 of the 47 years from 1979 to 2025.
In 2025: #131 among girls in Norway, #197 among girls in England and Wales, #213 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Official data from 6 national registrars across 6 regions, 1979–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources
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
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #197 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Meaning & Origin
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.
VerifiedSource: Te Aka Māori Dictionary, Behind the Name.Confidence: high.
VerifiedSource: Te Aka Māori Dictionary, Behind the Name.Confidence: high.
Where Maia is officially recorded
6 official registrars have recorded Maia, between 1979 and 2025, in 42 of those 47 years. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.
| Registrar | Recorded | Years | Its own highest position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 1979–2025 | 42 | #95 in 2020 |
| England and Wales | 1996–2025 | 30 | #176 in 2001 |
| Northern Ireland | 1999–2024 | 26 | #132 in 2003 |
| Republic of Ireland | 1999–2025 | 27 | #118 in 2015 |
| New Zealand | 1999–2023 | 25 | #15 in 2005 |
| Scotland | 2024 | 1 | #164 in 2024 |
Its high point came 23 years earlier in England and Wales (2001) than in Scotland (2024).
No registrar recorded it for 3 years after 1983; it appears again in 1987.
Variants
No spelling variants or nicknames recorded yet.
Similar Names
No similar names recorded yet for this name.
Similarity is a demonstration score — see methodology.
Spelling
Calculated directly from the name's spelling — see Name Characteristics above.
No commonly used alternate spellings recorded.
Pronunciation
- Syllables
- 1
- Ease
- easy
VerifiedSource: Maori Pronunciation Guide, Te Reo Maori Pronunciation Guide.Confidence: high.
Where Maia Is Recorded
National statistical agencies have recorded Maia in these places. This shows where the name is used — not where it comes from, and not that it carries particular cultural significance there.
Notable Usage
No safely-sourced notable usage recorded for this name yet.
Sibling & Surname Compatibility
Entirely local — nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere.
Full sibling-set and initials-across-a-shortlist matching is a planned premium feature — see Premium.