Maya: one spelling, several histories
Maya has several independent origins. In Sanskrit it means “illusion” or “magic”; in Hebrew it comes from mayim, “water.” In English it can also be a spelling of Maia, a Greek name meaning “good mother” or “foster mother.” These different histories help explain why the same short name appears in a wide range of languages and traditions.
Sanskrit, Hebrew, and Greek roots
The Sanskrit name is written माया. It has important religious associations: in Buddhist tradition, Maya is the mother of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. Maya is also a name of the Hindu goddess Durga. Its meaning belongs to the Sanskrit word māyā, commonly translated as illusion or magic.
The Hebrew name, written מַיָּה, has a separate origin in the word for water. Its resemblance to the Sanskrit form brings two independently meaningful names together in the same English spelling.
Another route leads through Greek Maia. In classical mythology, Maia was one of the Pleiades, daughters of Atlas and Pleione, and the mother of Hermes by Zeus. The Greek word maia could mean a good mother, a dame, or a foster mother. Maya can also be chosen in reference to the Maya peoples of southern Mexico and Central America.
Maya Angelou
Poet and memoirist Maya Angelou gave the name a lasting place in American literature. She was born Marguerite Ann Johnson in 1928, and her older brother Bailey gave her the nickname Maya. Her personal naming story therefore begins with a family nickname rather than one of the name's ancient meanings.
Angelou's career included singing, dancing, and civil rights work as well as writing. She joined the Harlem Writers Guild in 1959 and served as northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Her 1969 autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings brought her early life to a wide readership, describing childhood trauma and racism alongside her developing relationship with language. The book became a landmark of her literary career and was nominated for the National Book Award.
Pronunciation and related spellings
In English, Maya is pronounced MY-uh, with MAY-uh also recorded. The Sanskrit and Hindi pronunciation has an ah sound in the first syllable. These differences reflect the name's use across languages rather than a single universal pronunciation.
Maia and Mya are related to the English Maia branch. Maja is another form found in several European languages, while French uses Maïa. These connections sit alongside the independent Sanskrit and Hebrew names.
Popularity in the United States
Maya's largest annual American count was 5,047 girls in 2006. Its best national rank was number 49 in 2023, and it ranked number 62 in 2025. It has remained a familiar choice across recent decades, ranking number 68 in 2015 and number 61 in 2020.
Sources & methodologyReferences, data & attribution
Meaning and history draw on the references below. American popularity figures use published Social Security Administration records for this exact spelling; counts below five for a name, sex, and year are omitted.
How popular is Maya?
In 2025, Maya ranked #62 among girls in the United States, with 3,712 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1940; its largest annual count was 5,047 in 2006. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.