Maja
Of Slavic origin, meaning "the goddess of spring and birth".
Name Census estimates that about 1,952 living Americans carry the first name Maja. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maja today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maja births was 2009 (84 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maja. 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.
People living today
2.0K
~ 1 in 175,591 Americans
Peak year
2009
84 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,001
Tracked since 1953
Popularity
Maja: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maja from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 639 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Maja remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maja 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 Maja during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Majas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Illinois, California, New York recorded the most babies named Maja, while Michigan, Texas, Connecticut recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 52 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Maja
The name Maja has its origins in the Sanskrit language, where it was derived from the word "maya," meaning "illusion" or "magic." This name was popularized in ancient Indian texts, such as the Upanishads and the Vedas, which explored the concept of maya and its role in the spiritual realm.
In the Hindu tradition, Maja was also associated with the divine feminine energy, often personified as the goddess Mahamaya, who was revered for her ability to create and sustain the universe. This connection to the sacred feminine likely contributed to the name's enduring appeal and its widespread use across various cultures and regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Maja can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, where it was used for a minor character. However, the name gained greater prominence during the medieval period, particularly in the works of Islamic scholars and philosophers who explored the concept of maya and its metaphysical implications.
Throughout history, the name Maja has been borne by numerous notable individuals, including Maja the Blasphemer, a 7th-century Byzantine heretic who challenged the orthodox teachings of the Christian church. In the realm of literature, Maja Möller was a Swedish author and playwright of the 18th century, known for her satirical works that critiqued societal norms.
In the world of art, Maja Desnuda (1797-1799) and Maja Vestida (1800-1808) are two celebrated paintings by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya, depicting a reclining nude figure and the same model in traditional clothing, respectively. These works have become iconic representations of Spanish culture and the artistic expression of the time.
Another prominent figure with the name Maja was Maja Trochimczyk (1957-2015), a Polish-American music historian and composer who made significant contributions to the study of contemporary music and its intersection with various cultural traditions.
Lastly, Maja Kastelic (born 1981) is a contemporary Slovenian actress and filmmaker, known for her roles in critically acclaimed films such as "Slovenian Girl" and "Inferno," which have garnered international recognition and acclaim.
While the name Maja has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Hindu traditions, it has transcended cultural boundaries and continues to be embraced by individuals from diverse backgrounds, reflecting the enduring appeal and rich history of this name.
People
Maja + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maja 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
Maja: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maja?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,952 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maja 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 175,591 US residents.
Is Maja a common name?
We classify Maja as "Rare". It ranks above 93.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,009 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maja most popular?
The single biggest year for Maja was 2009, when 84 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maja is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maja a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maja 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.