NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Maeva

A French feminine name meaning "life" or "welcome".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Maeva is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Maeva popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #124, with 390 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 404 births.

This profile covers 1,646 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 97% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,888 living people in the UK are called Maeva. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Maeva ranked #124 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 390 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2023, when 404 girls were registered as Maeva.
  • Maeva ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #70 in 2024.
  • About 1,888 living people in the UK are estimated to have Maeva as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#124

2024

Births in 2024

390

Latest year

Peak year

2023

404 births

Estimated living

1,888

2026

Meaning

What does Maeva mean?

The name Maeva has its origins in the Tahitian language, spoken by the indigenous people of French Polynesia. It is derived from the Tahitian word "maeva," which means "welcome" or "greeting." The name is believed to have been in use among the Tahitian people for centuries, reflecting their warm and hospitable culture.

In the late 18th century, European explorers and missionaries began documenting the Tahitian language and culture, including the names used by the locals. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Maeva can be found in the journals of Captain James Cook, who visited Tahiti in 1769 during his famous voyages of exploration.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the name Maeva gained popularity among the Tahitian population, and it gradually spread to other parts of French Polynesia and beyond. One notable historical figure with the name Maeva was Maeva Salmon (1856-1930), a Tahitian woman who became a prominent landowner and community leader in her time.

As French Polynesia became more integrated with France and other parts of the world, the name Maeva began to gain recognition outside of its region of origin. In the 20th century, several notable individuals with the name Maeva emerged, including Maeva Nui (1915-1994), a French Polynesian dancer and choreographer who helped preserve and promote traditional Tahitian dance.

Another notable Maeva was Maeva Marcus (1920-2011), an American legal scholar and historian who served as the editor of the Documentary History of the Supreme Court of the United States. In the literary world, Maeva Peraza (1935-2010) was a French writer and poet who authored several books and received prestigious awards for her work.

Maeva Anand (born 1956) is an Indian-born British actress and dancer who has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and stage productions. More recently, Maeva Bermejo (born 1994) is a French tennis player who has competed on the professional circuit and achieved notable success in both singles and doubles events.

While the name Maeva has its roots in the Tahitian culture, it has transcended its origins and gained popularity worldwide, embraced for its unique and melodic sound. The name continues to be bestowed upon children, carrying with it a sense of warmth, hospitality, and cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Maeva over time

The chart below shows babies named Maeva registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Maeva, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 390 births in 2024, compared with 404 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Maeva
0101202303404199720102024

Decades

Maeva by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Maeva was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #192 1,507 5
2010s #3609 114 10
2000s #4329 20 5
1990s #2738 5 1

Geography

Where Maeva is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Maeva. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Maeva ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #70 in 2024.

Scotland
57
Northern Ireland
11

Across the UK

Maeva in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#70 in 2024

6 years of NRS records, 223 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#169 in 2024

5 years of NISRA records, 27 total registered

Related

Names similar to Maeva

FAQ

Maeva: questions and answers

How popular is the name Maeva in the UK right now?

In 2024, Maeva was ranked #124 for girls in England and Wales, with 390 births registered.

When was Maeva most popular?

The peak year on record was 2023, with 404 babies registered as Maeva in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Maeva?

A French feminine name meaning "life" or "welcome".

How many people are called Maeva in the UK?

A total of 1,646 babies have been registered as Maeva across the 21 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 223 more in Scotland and 27 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Maeva most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Maeva ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #70 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.