Maui
A Polynesian name meaning "to subsist, to endure" or "undying".
Name Census estimates that about 367 living Americans carry the first name Maui. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 67.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Maui today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maui births was 2017 (52 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maui. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Maui with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
367
~ 1 in 933,936 Americans
Peak year
2017
52 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,566
Tracked since 1997
Census
Maui in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 437 people with the first name Maui, which placed it at #22,679 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#22,679
National first-name rank
People counted
437
437 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
27.9% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maui
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Maui is Asian/Pacific Islander at 27.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.4%) and White (19.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Maui described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Maui at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander27.9% · 122
- Hispanic or Latino22.4% · 98
- White19.9% · 87
- Two or more races19.7% · 86
- Black or African American8.5% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 7
Gender
Gender distribution for Maui
Maui is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 370 total registrations, 249 (67.3%) were male and 121 (32.7%) were female.
Maui as a male name
- Ranked #5,566 in 2024
- 17 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2017 (42 births)
Maui as a female name
- Ranked #14,596 in 2024
- 6 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (13 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Maui on both sides of the split. Of the 438 people counted with this name, 268 were male (61.2%) and 170 were female (38.8%).
Popularity
Maui: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maui from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 182 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Maui remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maui 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 Maui during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mauis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Maui
The name Maui originates from the Polynesian languages and cultures of the Pacific islands. It is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "mau'i", which means "left-handed" or "dexterous". The name has been in use for centuries across various Polynesian islands and nations.
In Polynesian mythology, Maui is the name of a demi-god and cultural hero famous for his exploits and adventures. He is often depicted as a trickster figure who uses his cunning and intelligence to overcome challenges and perform great feats. The name has been immortalized in oral traditions, songs, and legends passed down through generations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Maui can be found in the ancient Hawaiian chants and tales known as the "Kumulipo". This epic creation chant, believed to have been composed in the 16th or 17th century, mentions Maui as a powerful figure who lassoed the sun to slow its passage across the sky.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Maui. One of the most famous was Maui-a-Kalana (c. 1776-1826), a Hawaiian chief and navigator who played a crucial role in the unification of the Hawaiian Islands under King Kamehameha I. He was renowned for his exceptional seafaring skills and leadership abilities.
Another prominent figure was Maui Pomare (1875-1916), a Māori politician and leader from New Zealand. He served as the Minister of Native Affairs and was a strong advocate for Māori rights and self-governance. He was instrumental in promoting the revitalization of Māori language and culture.
In Tahitian history, Maui Ariipaea Mauruuru (1884-1932) was a notable chief and influential figure in the island's political affairs during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He played a crucial role in the negotiations surrounding the establishment of the French protectorate over Tahiti.
The name Maui also gained international recognition through the character of the same name in the 2016 Disney animated film "Moana". This depiction of the Polynesian demi-god introduced the name to a wider global audience and sparked renewed interest in its cultural significance.
Throughout the Pacific islands, the name Maui has held a revered place in the collective consciousness, symbolizing strength, resilience, and the enduring spirit of the Polynesian people. It has been borne by chiefs, navigators, and leaders who have left an indelible mark on the history and traditions of their respective communities.
People
Maui + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maui 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
Maui: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maui?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 367 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maui 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 933,936 US residents.
Is Maui a common name?
We classify Maui as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 370 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maui most popular?
The single biggest year for Maui was 2017, when 52 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maui is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Maui in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 437 people with the name Maui, or 0.14 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #22,679 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Maui in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Maui?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Maui on both sides of the split. Of the 438 people counted with this name, 268 were male (61.2%) and 170 were female (38.8%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Maui?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Maui is Asian/Pacific Islander at 27.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.4%) and White (19.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Maui most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Maui in the 2020 Census, accounting for 27.9% (122 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Maui in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Maui a male name?
Yes, 67.3% of people registered as Maui in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Maui still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Maui in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Maui can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many Americans are named Maui?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.