Girl name · Greek
Maia
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: good motherMaia is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "good mother". It is used in Greek and English.
- Meaning
- Good mother
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #433 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Maia
As a girl's name, Maia comes from Greek and means "good mother". It is used in Greek and English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Maia on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Maia on 4 lists.
“Eldest of the seven Pleiades sisters”
From Female cat names, star and space names for girl cats
“Goddess of spring growth, honored in the month of May”
From Goddess names, roman goddess names
“Good mother; Greek. Eldest of the Pleiades and mother of Hermes”
From Greek girl names, muses, Graces and nymph names
“Good mother, foster mother; Greek, eldest of the seven Pleiades”
From Names that mean star, names of real stars, a constellation and the Pleiades
How popular is Maia?
- US rank in 2025
- #433
- 715 babies, 445 per million girls
- Best rank
- #420 in 2022
- 752 babies that year
- Babies since 1950
- At least 18,200
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 3 per million |
| 1960s | 12 per million |
| 1970s | 43 per million |
| 1980s | 42 per million |
| 1990s | 122 per million |
| 2000s | 274 per million |
| 2010s | 293 per million |
| 2020s | 428 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #570 | #489 | #502 | #525 | #498 | #435 | #420 | #459 | #460 | #433 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Maia
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- MayaVariant of Maia, good mother (Greek, girl)
Names spelled like Maia
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- MariaGreek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaning (Hebrew, girl)
- MiaPet form of Maria (Hebrew, girl)
- MahaOryx (Arabic, girl)
- MaiDance (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- MaraBitter (Hebrew, girl)
- MarinaOf the sea (Latin, girl)
- MartaLady, mistress (Aramaic, girl)
- MilaGracious, dear (Slavic, girl)
- MaudStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- TobiasGod is good (Hebrew, boy)
- AgataGood, from Greek agathos (Greek, girl)
- HassanHandsome, good (Arabic, boy)
- SadafSeashell, mother-of-pearl (Arabic, girl)
- AgathaGood (Greek, girl)
- AgatheGood one (Greek, girl)
- BushraGood news (Arabic, girl)
- DariaHolding firm the good (Persian, girl)
- DariusHe who holds firm the good (Persian, boy)
- DaryaHolding firm the good; also sea in Persian (Persian, girl)
Middle names for Maia
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- ConstanceSteadfast, constant (Latin, girl)
- FenellaWhite shoulder (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- JosephineHe will add (Hebrew, girl)
- LaurelBay tree, a symbol of victory (Latin, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- PrimroseFirst rose (Latin, girl)
- SerenaSerene, calm (Latin, girl)
- WillowWillow tree (Old English, girl)
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
Maia: common questions
What does the name Maia mean?
Maia comes from Greek and means "good mother".
Is Maia a boy or girl name?
Maia is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Maia come from?
Maia comes from Greek and means "good mother". Today it is used in Greek and English.
How popular is the name Maia?
Maia ranked #433 in the US in 2025, with 715 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Maia?
Forms of Maia with the same meaning and origin include Maya (English).
What middle names go with Maia?
Middle names that flow well with Maia include Constance, Fenella, Josephine, Laurel and Louise. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.