Maya has several independent origins: in Sanskrit it means "illusion", in Greek myth Maia, "mother" or "nurse", is the mother of Hermes, and in Hebrew it is a modern name linked to the word for water. Poet Maya Angelou is the name's most admired American bearer. Maya ranked number 113 in the United States in 2000, entered the top 100 in 2002 and has improved from number 68 in 2015 to a peak of number 49 in 2023; it ranks number 62 among girls in 2025.