Given name
Maija
“star of the sea”·“from the sea of bitterness”
Maija is a variant of Mary. Interpretations include “star of the sea” and “from the sea of bitterness”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Maija is a variant of Mary. Interpretations include “star of the sea” and “from the sea of bitterness”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1952. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Maija through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,189
- 0 boys · 1,189 girls
- Most popular year
- 1999
- 59 babies
- 2025
- 8
- #11,538 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −15%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 11,538 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 14.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 59 in 1999. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,333 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Maija’s family of names
In Finnish usage, Maija has a diminutive in Maiju. In Finnish usage, Maija shares a linguistic root with the Estonian form Maia. Maija has a related form in Mary.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Maija has relatives in 4 languages.
6 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Maija
- Maija IsolaFinnish textile designer for Marimekko (1927–2001)
- Maija VilkkumaaFinnish singer-songwriterborn 1973
- Maija TīrumaLatvian lugerborn 1983
- Maija SaariFinnish footballerborn 1986
- Maija GrotellAmerican ceramic artist (1899—1973)
- Maija EinfeldeLatvian composer (born 1939)
- Maija KovaļevskaLatvian opera sopranoborn 1979
- Maija TabakaLatvian painter (born 1939)
- Maija PerhoFinnish politicianborn 1948
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Maija, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Maira
“star of the sea” · “from the sea of bitterness”
>99% girls
Marleah
“from the meadow near the lake”
>99% girls
Maricia
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Marlea
“from the meadow near the lake” · “of the marshy meadow”
>99% girls
Arly
“from the meadow of the hare” · “an oath; a pledge”
23% boys · 77% girls
Hally
“from the hall near the meadow” · “from the hall”
>99% girls
Marina
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Marnina
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls