Maya
Maya is a girls' name of Sanskrit origin meaning “illusion, dream; also water or mother.” It ranked #54 in the United States in 2025. In Hinduism and Buddhism, 'maya' refers to the illusory nature of the material world.
how do you pronounce Maya?
MY-uh
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Maya mean?
The name Maya means “illusion, dream; also water or mother.” It comes from the Sanskrit language tradition.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, 'maya' refers to the illusory nature of the material world. The name also connects to the ancient Maya civilization and to Greek Maia, goddess of spring. Its multicultural resonance makes it globally beloved.
where does the name Maya come from?
Maya arrives from several unrelated traditions. In Sanskrit माया means illusion — the appearance that conceals reality. In Greek, Maia is the eldest Pleiad and mother of Hermes. There is also a Hebrew Maya connected to water. These are separate names that share a spelling.
the history of Maya
In Hindu philosophy maya is a substantial concept rather than a mere word, naming the illusory quality of the perceived world; in Buddhist tradition Maya is also the Buddha's mother. The Roman month of May is generally traced to the Greek Maia. Maya Angelou carried the name in modern American letters, and it has ranked highly in the United States since the 1990s.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #54 |
| 2023 | #57 |
| 2022 | #60 |
| 2021 | #63 |
| 2020 | #68 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Maya?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Maya?
- Maya Angelou (poet and author)
- Maya Lin (architect)
- Maya Rudolph (actress)
what names are similar to Maya?
what names go well with Maya?
Sibling names that share Maya's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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