Maia
Maia is a girls' name of Greek origin meaning “great one, mother goddess.” It ranked #433 in the United States in 2025. In Greek mythology, Maia was the eldest of the Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas, and mother of Hermes by Zeus.
how do you pronounce Maia?
MY-uh
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Maia mean?
The name Maia means “great one, mother goddess.” It comes from the Greek language tradition.
In Greek mythology, Maia was the eldest of the Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas, and mother of Hermes by Zeus. The month of May is named in her honor as a goddess of spring and fertility.
where does the name Maia come from?
The sources give two distinct traditions rather than one confirmed etymology: Wiktionary says the Greek mythological Maia's name comes from a word for 'lady,' while the separate Roman religious figure Maia is of uncertain origin, possibly a native Latin formation from a feminine form of a word for 'great' (compare Maius as an epithet of Jupiter), later conflated with the Greek goddess. Wikipedia adds that Maia is also used as a Māori given name meaning 'brave or confident,' a tradition not mentioned in the existing gloss.
the history of Maia
Wikipedia notes the name may reference the mythic mother of Hermes, but neither source mentions the Pleiades, Zeus, or the month of May being named for her, so those specifics given elsewhere aren't confirmed here.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #433 |
| 2024 | #460 |
| 2023 | #459 |
| 2022 | #420 |
| 2021 | #435 |
| 2020 | #498 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
who are famous people named Maia?
- Maia Mitchell (actress)
- Maya Angelou (poet, alternate spelling)
what names are similar to Maia?
what names go well with Maia?
Sibling names that share Maia's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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