Mataya
A Native American name meaning "daughter of grizzly bear".
Name Census estimates that about 1,145 living Americans carry the first name Mataya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mataya today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mataya births was 2003 (76 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mataya. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 299,349 Americans
Peak year
2003
76 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,314
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Mataya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mataya from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 560 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mataya 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 Mataya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Matayas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Minnesota, South Dakota, Washington recorded the most babies named Mataya, while Wisconsin, Missouri, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mataya
The name Mataya has its origins in the Sanskrit language and Hindu culture, dating back to ancient times in India. It is derived from the Sanskrit words "mata" meaning "mother" and "ya" which is a suffix denoting a connection or relationship. The name can be interpreted to mean "related to the mother" or "mother's child."
In Hindu mythology and ancient texts, there are references to the goddess Mataya, who was revered as the divine mother and the personification of maternal love, nurturing, and protection. The name Mataya was closely associated with this goddess and was bestowed upon children as a way to invoke her blessings and qualities.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Mataya can be found in the Rigveda, a sacred Hindu scripture composed around 1500–1200 BCE. In this ancient text, the name is used in reference to a female deity or a personification of the divine mother.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Mataya. One of the earliest known was Mataya Maharishi (c. 800 BCE), a renowned Hindu sage and philosopher who is credited with writing the treatise "Mataya Upanishad," which explores the concepts of consciousness, self-realization, and the nature of the soul.
Another prominent figure was Mataya Devi (c. 1200 CE), a Hindu mystic and spiritual teacher from the Nath tradition. She was known for her devotional poetry and teachings on the path of bhakti (devotion) and was revered by her followers as an embodiment of the divine mother.
In the 16th century, Mataya Rani (c. 1550–1620) was a powerful ruler of the Mewar kingdom in Rajasthan, India. She is celebrated for her bravery, wisdom, and leadership during a time of turmoil, as she successfully defended her kingdom against invading forces and preserved the rich cultural heritage of her people.
During the 19th century, Mataya Bai (1819–1888) was a renowned classical dancer and courtesan in the court of the Nawab of Awadh. She was highly skilled in the Kathak dance form and played a significant role in preserving and promoting this traditional art form during a period of cultural transition.
More recently, Mataya Shesha (1920–2005) was a celebrated Indian artist and sculptor known for her intricate and spiritual works. Her sculptures, often depicting themes from Hindu mythology, were widely acclaimed and can be found in various museums and galleries around the world.
People
Mataya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mataya 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
Mataya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mataya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,145 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mataya 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 299,349 US residents.
Is Mataya a common name?
We classify Mataya as "Rare". It ranks above 90.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,164 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mataya most popular?
The single biggest year for Mataya was 2003, when 76 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mataya is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mataya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mataya 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.