Girl name origins & meanings
- Hawaiian : Precious one
- English : Month of May
- Hebrew : Bitter
- Latin : Great
- Greek : Mother
- Hindi : God's divine creative power
What does Maya mean and stand for?
The name Maya is of various origins, but most often thought to be of Hebrew, Spanish, and Greek origin. and means "water." Maya also means "illusion" in Sanskrit and Eastern Pantheism. In Greek mythology, Maya was the mother of Hermes, son of Zeus. The month of May was also named after Maya, as Maia/Maya was the incarnation of the earth mother and goddess of spring to the Romance.
Syllables: 2
Family name origins & meanings
- Spanish (from Basque) : habitational name from Maya del Baztán in Navarre province, from Basque Amaiur.
- Catalan : variant spelling of Maià, habitational name from Maià de Montcal and other places (see Maia)
Famous people with this first name
Famous people who gave their babies this name
Popularity
According to Social Security Administration data, Maya has been consistently popular, maintaining a spot between 60 and 70 since 2015. Never truly unpopular, Maya has maintained a spot in the top 100 since 2001.
However, it is the 32nd most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.
According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Maya was at its peak popularity in August 2016.
Maya invokes the image of Maya Angelou, one of the most famous poets of our time. Other celebrities that hold the name include performer Maya Rudolph, actress Maya Hawke, K-Pop singer Maya, and architect Maya Lin. Maya has also been a popular name for movies, being used for at least 2 dozen. Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke and Phoebe Philo chose the name for their daughters.
Where is it Popular?
Maya was searched for most often in the following states:
Nicknames for Maya
- May
- Ya
Pairs well with these middle names
