Maeva
A French feminine name meaning "life" or "welcome".
Name Census estimates that about 1,241 living Americans carry the first name Maeva. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maeva today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maeva births was 2023 (178 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maeva. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Maeva is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 8 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 276,192 Americans
Peak year
2023
178 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,318
Tracked since 1940
Popularity
Maeva: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maeva from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 670 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maeva by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Maeva during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Maevas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Maeva, while Wisconsin, Georgia, Colorado recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Maeva
The name Maeva has its origins in the Tahitian language, spoken by the indigenous people of French Polynesia. It is derived from the Tahitian word "maeva," which means "welcome" or "greeting." The name is believed to have been in use among the Tahitian people for centuries, reflecting their warm and hospitable culture.
In the late 18th century, European explorers and missionaries began documenting the Tahitian language and culture, including the names used by the locals. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Maeva can be found in the journals of Captain James Cook, who visited Tahiti in 1769 during his famous voyages of exploration.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the name Maeva gained popularity among the Tahitian population, and it gradually spread to other parts of French Polynesia and beyond. One notable historical figure with the name Maeva was Maeva Salmon (1856-1930), a Tahitian woman who became a prominent landowner and community leader in her time.
As French Polynesia became more integrated with France and other parts of the world, the name Maeva began to gain recognition outside of its region of origin. In the 20th century, several notable individuals with the name Maeva emerged, including Maeva Nui (1915-1994), a French Polynesian dancer and choreographer who helped preserve and promote traditional Tahitian dance.
Another notable Maeva was Maeva Marcus (1920-2011), an American legal scholar and historian who served as the editor of the Documentary History of the Supreme Court of the United States. In the literary world, Maeva Peraza (1935-2010) was a French writer and poet who authored several books and received prestigious awards for her work.
Maeva Anand (born 1956) is an Indian-born British actress and dancer who has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and stage productions. More recently, Maeva Bermejo (born 1994) is a French tennis player who has competed on the professional circuit and achieved notable success in both singles and doubles events.
While the name Maeva has its roots in the Tahitian culture, it has transcended its origins and gained popularity worldwide, embraced for its unique and melodic sound. The name continues to be bestowed upon children, carrying with it a sense of warmth, hospitality, and cultural heritage.
People
Maeva + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maeva as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Maeva: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maeva?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,241 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maeva going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 276,192 US residents.
Is Maeva a common name?
We classify Maeva as "Rare". It ranks above 91.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,260 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maeva most popular?
The single biggest year for Maeva was 2023, when 178 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maeva is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maeva a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maeva in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.