UK girl's name
Mya
Feminine name of uncertain etymology, possibly derived from the Spanish Maya.
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.
Mya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Mya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #192, with 252 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 554 births.
This profile covers 10,090 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 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 45% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 12,062 living people in the UK are called Mya. 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
- • Mya ranked #192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 252 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 554 girls were registered as Mya.
- • Mya ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #110 in 2024.
- • About 12,062 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#192
2024
Births in 2024
252
Latest year
Peak year
2010
554 births
Estimated living
12,062
2026
Meaning
What does Mya mean?
The given name Mya has its roots in various ancient civilizations and languages. It is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit word "maya," which means "illusion" or "magic." This Sanskrit term has profound significance in Hindu and Buddhist philosophies, signifying the illusory nature of the material world.
In ancient Egyptian mythology, Mya is also associated with the goddess Maat, the personification of truth, balance, and cosmic order. The name was often used to represent the concept of harmony and righteousness in the pharaonic era.
The name Mya gained popularity in ancient Greece, where it was derived from the Greek word "myein," meaning "to initiate into the mysteries." This connection suggests that the name was linked to spiritual enlightenment and sacred rites in ancient Greek culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mya is found in the ancient Greek epic poem, the Iliad, attributed to Homer. The poem mentions a character named Mya, who was a companion of the goddess Athena.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Mya. One such individual was Mya Thuyền (1218-1284), a Vietnamese Buddhist nun and poet renowned for her literary works and spiritual teachings.
Another prominent figure was Mya Sein (1904-1988), a Burmese writer, educator, and politician who played a significant role in the independence movement of Myanmar (formerly Burma).
In medieval Europe, the name Mya was associated with Saint Mya (also known as Saint Mayme or Saint Emma), a French abbess who lived in the 7th century and was known for her piety and charitable works.
The name Mya also has connections to the Islamic world. Mya Lakhnavi (1776-1824) was an influential Urdu poet and scholar from Lucknow, India, who contributed greatly to the development of the Urdu language and literature.
Another notable figure was Mya Pya (1825-1892), a Burmese princess and philanthropist who founded several schools and hospitals in Myanmar, promoting education and social welfare.
While these are just a few examples, the name Mya has been carried by individuals from diverse cultures and historical periods, often representing themes of spirituality, enlightenment, and artistic expression.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mya over time
The chart below shows babies named Mya registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Mya, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 252 births in 2024, compared with 554 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mya 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 | #179 | 1,404 | 5 |
| 2010s | #123 | 4,596 | 10 |
| 2000s | #149 | 3,942 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1001 | 148 | 4 |
Geography
Where Mya is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Mya. 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.
Mya ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #110 in 2024.
Across the UK
Mya in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#184 in 2024
26 years of NRS records, 1,337 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#110 in 2024
24 years of NISRA records, 696 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Mya
-
Mya Bates
association football player
British association football player
2005-
Related
Names similar to Mya
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Mya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Mya was ranked #192 for girls in England and Wales, with 252 births registered.
When was Mya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 554 babies registered as Mya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mya?
Feminine name of uncertain etymology, possibly derived from the Spanish Maya.
How many people are called Mya in the UK?
A total of 10,090 babies have been registered as Mya across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 1,337 more in Scotland and 696 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Mya most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Mya ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #110 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.