Maja
Say it: MY-a
Girl4 letters2 syllables
#247
in Ireland (2025)
#249 with spellings combined
17
babies in 2025
#54
best rank (2009)
1,244
babies since 2003
Down 158
10-year rank change
Maja through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 | #249 |
| 2024 | 17 | #248 |
| 2023 | 7 | #484 |
| 2022 | 24 | #196 |
| 2021 | 25 | #192 |
| 2020 | 16 | #265 |
| 2019 | 45 | #126 |
| 2018 | 49 | #119 |
| 2017 | 48 | #122 |
| 2016 | 52 | #116 |
| 2015 | 69 | #91 |
| 2014 | 96 | #73 |
| 2013 | 94 | #71 |
| 2012 | 114 | #60 |
| 2011 | 131 | #57 |
| 2010 | 132 | #54 |
| 2009 | 133 | #54 |
| 2008 | 96 | #73 |
| 2007 | 53 | #110 |
| 2006 | 20 | #220 |
| 2004 | 3 | #677 |
| 2003 | 3 | #655 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Maja mean?
Uncertain
Slavic, German and Scandinavian form of Maya, with several possible roots.
Say it right
MYa
The "j" sounds like the English "y".
Not:MAH-jaMAY-ja
The story of Maja
Maja is a girls’ name used in Polish, German, the Scandinavian languages and across much of central and eastern Europe. It is the same name as Maya, written with a j, which in these languages sounds like the English y. There is no single origin behind it. In some places it grew up as a pet form of Maria, and in others it is linked to Maia, a goddess of the ancient Greeks and Romans, so its meaning is best left open.
In Ireland Maja first appears in the CSO records in 2003. It rose very quickly after that, in the years when many families from Poland and nearby countries were settling in Ireland.
Its best years were 2009 and 2010, and in 2009, 133 girls were named Maja and it reached number 54. It has become less common since, with 17 girls in 2025. The CSO counts Maja, Maya and Maia separately, so each spelling has its own page.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Maja (given name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Maja | 17 | 1,244 |
In Northern Ireland
Not in the 2025 list. Best rank #106 (2011); 211 babies since 2006.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.